


Beyond a Promise

by but_why_not



Category: Sonic - Fandom, Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Related, Dealing With Trauma, F/M, Gen, I will give Shadow the happiness he deserves, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Beta Read, Post-Sonic Forces, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rouge is a good friend, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Sonadow - Freeform, We Die Like Men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 06:34:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 39,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23846785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/but_why_not/pseuds/but_why_not
Summary: Shadow the Hedgehog has decidedly left the past behind, but his guilt still haunts him and intrudes on his life. This is how he comes to realize that living in itself, is much more than just survival and following old promises.Life has much more to throw at him that weird monsters and life threatening scenarios- there's also a pesky blue annoyance.
Relationships: Amy Rose & Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower & Sonic the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat & Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 93
Kudos: 239





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tags will be updated as I go along. The main story has been mapped out and I've been in a frenzy trying to just get it out of my head. But if canon is too much of a coward then I'll bend it towards my will.

A black blur flew out of the foliage, aiming a hissing kick to a flying machine. The metal crumpled easily under his skate, but before he could readjust and dart off to the next target he was knocked out of the sky by a blast, falling into the dirty lagoon below.

“Absolute idiots,” Shadow hissed, hands nearly slipping against the grass as he pulled himself out of the water. “Do you know how to be anything but useless?!”

The eggbot buzzed simply, finally shot down a moment later by the G.U.N. soldier Shadow had been addressing.

“How’s that for useless” he spat, but the dark hedgehog didn't turn to acknowledge him.

“Congratulations, you did your job. Late.”

The squads were meant to guard his six while he took care of the rest of the perimeter. Apparently, those instructions were too complicated.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the soldier take another step towards him, stopped only by his friend extending an arm, head shaking minutely. 

Shadow scoffed derisively.

“Smart move.”

Walking further into the humid jungle, the hedgehog saw the quick silhouette of a bat emerge from the mouth of a cavern, followed by the larger, angular figure of Omega.

“No trouble, I assume?” Teal eyes shone with mirth as she took in his drenched form. Shadow scowled, shaking his head.

“Would have been, were I not saddled with buffoons for a squad.” The tell-tale steps of boots on grass sounded from behind him; the animosity between the soldiers and agent practically crackling through the humid air.

“Now Shadow,” Rouge’s tone was playful as always, but he caught the tinge of warning. He dismissed it with an annoyed huff, turning to leave the clearing and scout the area once more.

The soft hiss of the hover skates nearly drowned out the solder’s mutter as he left.

“What the hell is his problem..” Scowling, the hedgehog kicked out harder, body jumping into motion.

The perimeter was mostly secure. A couple of stragglers hobbled through the undergrowth. They were hardly worth a second thought, but Shadow was nothing if not thorough.

It was cathartic, almost. Leaving the movements to routine and muscle memory, the screech of metal bending beneath his feet and fists a familiar and grounding sensation. Only once the last core was torn out of its hull did he notice his communicator beeping.

“-dow. Shadow? Are you okay? Do you need any backup?” 

“Of course not,” he snapped, “There’s hardly any activity out here.” The broken remains of the eggbot jittered at his feet, as if responding to the comment.

“Ok big guy, just got concerned.” An angry warmth suffused his body. How _dare_ she- “We just about finished up here, we’ll meet you at the convoy in five.”

“I’m on my way.” He replied coldly. 

Once he ended the transmission Shadow exhaled harshly, closing his eyes. Willing the anger to return beneath the surface.

Was Rouge implicating that he was weak? That he needed assistance from her? Or worse, that he needed assistance from G.U.N. soldiers? Shadow's eyes opened slowly. 

_That's not at all like her. Get a grip._

Besides, opinions of others were rarely something that bothered the Ultimate Lifeform.

The shoes hissed to life as he kicked forward, body moving in the familiar movements that were now second nature to him.

Skimming over the rough terrain was the closest he felt to flying. He’d fallen in the sky before- fallen from the upper atmosphere, in fact- but that had been uncontrolled. Terror so unimaginable his mind blocked it out upon the first available opportunity. If he had screamed, he couldn’t remember hearing it.

But running, both with the feature of the hover skates and without them, felt liberating. Every moment was controlled; when his feet moved over the ground, eating up the distance with ease, it cleared the cobwebs in his mind. He controlled the jump, the distance, everything. Every jump felt leagues long, he saw the horizon and actually moved towards it, it was never just a far away point. It was the destination.

When he arrived at the rendezvous location the convoy was empty and his head was clear. He'd arrived before them. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but the agent had come to expect to see his comrades waiting for him. Crossing his arms, he settled in to wait patiently for their return.

“What the hell is his problem?” Rouge’s brow twitched at the soldier’s indignant tone. She rounded on him, wings flaring aggressively.

“If you have an issue with Agent Shadow, Corporal Leine, then either tell it to _me_ or to the Commander. Otherwise, keep quiet.”

The corporal clenched his jaw, eyes flashing in anger, but he nodded curtly.

“Yes ma’am.”

They really were trained so well.

“Lovely!” The suave mannerism she often adopted slipped easily back into place and the bat moved away, glad that the boundary had been set. Shadow was a grump, difficult to get along with, difficult to exist around, but she wouldn’t suffer G.U.N. nobodies commenting on things they knew nothing about while she was around. The striped hedgehog had saved the world twice now. The minimum that deserved was respect from the organization he chose to work for. “Let’s get this stuff back to the convoy, Omega.” The giant robot only hummed his approval, following her closely.

Shadow was normally incredibly punctual about checking in or responding to communication attempts; the exemplary agent. But he’d not responded to her first two attempts, and the bat could feel the eyes of the two humans on her back, stormy and expectant. She remained aloof and unconcerned, but maybe not everything was really okay? 

‘Just once more,’ she reasoned to herself, clicking the communicator in her glove. “Shadow? Shadow are you okay? Do you need any backup?” The silence on the other side lasted for a beat before his voice crackled through, cold and sharp.

“Of course not. There’s hardly any activity out here.” She bit the retort back.

“Alright, big guy, just concerned.” An attempt to smooth out the tension. “We just about finished up here, we’ll meet you at the convoy in five.” A clipped affirmation crackled through the communicator before it shut off entirely. Rouge couldn’t help an angry huff from escaping her. The _nerve_ of that hedgehog sometimes. Something had had him in a foul mood for the entire week, though truthfully, it could just be another facet of his personality that they hadn’t yet been graced yet. Shadow was always quick to retort with a biting comment outside of G.U.N. property, never afraid to deal with situations with his brute strength and lord that over companions and enemies alike. It was hard to believe, then, that that had somehow increased, and even Rouge and Omega found themselves on the end of the dark hedgehog’s biting remarks. The bat had impenetrable skin, when it came to words, but the fact that it came from her closest friend irked her. It was the proverbial thorn in the lion’s paw and she was ready to dropkick her dearest, best friend into the nearest concrete wall.

The squad wasted little time moving towards the convoy rendezvous. They emerged into the artificial clearing to find the hedgehog already waiting near the entrance to the vehicle. Despite the coarseness he'd displayed earlier, Rouge couldn't help but feel pleased to see her friend again.

“Why hello there! Fancy running into you here.” She laughed airily, wings snapping close behind her back. Shadow only cocked an eyebrow..

“This is our rendezvous point,” he replied blankly. Rouge had to smother a giggle, recognizing the beat of silence as hesitance. Social clues were one of his true weaknesses and sometimes it was too easy an exploit.

“That it is.” she conceded. “Help us load up the materials so we can get out of this Chaos forsaken jungle.” Shadow nodded, already moving towards Omega to take an armful of the materials they had retrieved from the caverns.

Minutes later the convoy was loaded with its materials and people, roaring to life and rumbling into the air. Letting the monotonous drum of the chopper blades drown out any and all thoughts

The sky was dark by the time they’d returned and finished filling out the necessary reports. G.U.N. seemed to enjoy getting the most work out of all its employees, regardless of status. Rouge, Shadow and Omega left city headquarters together, the bat blinking blearily underneath the bright city lights.

The debriefing, normally a quick affair, had been an utter _mess._

The commander was not normally a man that raised his voice, but tonight had been an exception. The mission had been painfully simple, but the two enlisted soldiers couldn't resist raising a complaint concerning one of their superior officers. As point in the mission Rouge had stepped forward to bear the reprimand, but not without throwing out her own jabs.

Regardless of her employment to G.U.N. she _knew_ where she stood with them, knew when to pull and when to concede.

Today had been a lot of concession. Her anger still flared at his contemptuous expression.

There was little to be done tonight, everyone who ever worked with Shadow knew the kind of person he could be; extremely capable in his abilities but nearly impossible for teamwork if that didn’t include Rogue or Omega in the mix. Despite all he did for the military organization, their greedy maw always demanded more. Not that she’d ever let them forget it.

The lights shone too bright for the bat, her eyes sliding closed, wishing for the dark comfort of her private apartment.

“Will you be joining us tonight at the club?” Rouge turned to the hedgehog, who was already heading down the opposite direction.

“I’ve no need for paltry entertainment."

“To _rest,_ Shadow. Chaos.” The exhaustion was eating into her usual patience, the pulsing between her eyes strengthening. “I own the entire place remember? You have your own room? Stayed there as you recovered?” There was no doubt that he remembered, but as straightforward as Shadow was, it wasn’t unusual for him to play dumb when it suited him. 

“I don’t need your pity.”

It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“ _Pity?_ ” The word ripped out in a snarl, unbidden and uncontrolled. “You are my friend, Shadow the Hedgehog,” she turned to him, eyes flashing in anger and hurt, “and I understand your personality is not like others and I accept that, but don't disrespect me by calling our friendship pity.”

Reading Shadow’s expressions was a hard-earned skill. But the hedgehog wasn't as emotionless as he played himself off, keeping a tight rein on his reactions. Nonetheless, Rouge saw the sheen of surprise in his expression before it shuttered close again. Whether it was from her words or her outburst, she couldn't tell.

“Friends help each other." she continued. "Not just in the battlefield, but outside of it too.”

“I don’t need your help.” This. This cold exterior was familiar to him and he grasped at it the first moment he could.

“You don’t need to eat either, or sleep,” she crossed her arms, “yet you indulge in these things. Why?”

Crimson eyes meeting teal ones frostily, but for once the hedgehog was silent.

“Because it makes your life just a fraction better. These are small, inexplicable moments of existence where it’s not just about survival, but about living.” Her heel clicked against the concrete. “You’re the ultimate life form, aren’t you?” The look he gave her was unsure, as if she’d laid a trap.

“…yes.”

“Then _act_ like it.”

“How dare you-“

“Because I’ve put my ass on the line for you today.” She raised a finger to his face. Red eyes darted to it then her, incredulously, lips curling In a snarl. For a brief moment, she thought he might actually try and bite it.

“I didn’t ask you to-“

“I don’t give a damn. I've never asked you to save me and yet you did. Countless times. And I’ve always been grateful.” Tension and anger charged the air between them, thick and palpable. Shadow’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

“Is that what you want?” he asked quietly. “My gratitude?”

Rouge smothered her scream deep, deep down. She wanted to strangle him, to grip him until he finally reacted. But he was her friend.

“I don’t care,” her words were halting, hindered by her warring emotions, “if you never thank me. I don’t care if you demand I thank you when you save me, and I don’t care if you act like an ass on missions sometimes because you’re in a foul mood. What I do care about, is the lack of respect you’ve shown me as a person and friend.”

Shadow was frozen in place, eyes widening and confused as the words began to click together. The conversation took a sudden turn and suddenly, it wasn't about power and derision.

“I. I do.” The white bat looked at him oddly, ears cocking in confusing. “I do respect you.”

Well.

That certainly hadn’t been what she expected.

The headache returned, full force, and Rouge felt the fight leave her. As quickly as it had crackled to life the charge in the air dissipated.

Gesturing for the large robot, Rouge flared her wings, preparing to take off. She offered Shadow one last look over her shoulder, expression hard and exhausted.

“Then act like it.” They took off into the bright night, the noises of her wings and Omega's engines blending easily into the rest of the city sounds.

Outside of the gleaming compound of G.U.N. headquarters, Shadow stood alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did some tweaks to chapters one and two, nothing that messes with the plot so far but in my haste to post I overlooked certain things.


	2. Chapter 2

One skill learned over the course of years on the run and in the employment of G.U.N., has been to hide in plain sight. Shadow has never been fond of crowds, but he's able to adopt a purposeful appearance as he moves through the dark streets. Not a soul has even spared him a passing glance.

In the end, it’s a rooftop that he chooses.

The city gleams overhead, bright and disturbing. 

A dark corner at the edge seems welcoming enough and Shadow settles in for the night.

Except the moment his eyes slide shut he’s met with the face of Rouge, angry and something else that remained incomprehensible to him during their argument.

Determined to avoid the rising realization, he shuts his eyes tighter, brow furrowed in concentration as attempts to force himself to relax. Thoughts circle the conversation, something aching with familiarity and regret. He stifles a groan.

_This is ridiculous._

It’s with a small start that he finally makes the connection.

Rouge was disappointed in him. What was worse, it grossly echoed a similar situation over fifty years ago.

“Let it go,” the whispered words were to himself only. He had made peace with his past and the people he had loved, hell, he had *fought* for that peace, clawing his way through the miasma of Black Doom’s manipulation. But the scars remained, and it was all he could do to weather their phantom pain.

He’d started a stupid argument. With Maria. Something inane. A box of pastries that the professor had gifted them. And Shadow, being the quicker of the two, had snatched them up as his rightful prize. His thoughts swirled around, incoherent and slow. Sometimes, he remembered her face so vividly it hurt, but in other times it was hard to grasp the finer details; the lilt in her laughter, the flash of amusement in her eyes, always so vibrant an full of life. Closing his eyes, he focused, remembering her voice and the words she had spoken so long ago.

-

“Shadow why won’t you share?!” By now Maria’s face was flushed red. The hedgehog only smirked from his perch and shook the box, having far too much fun in teasing his sister.

“Sorry, these cookies say they’re reserved for ultimate life forms only!” Settling down, his feet hung over the perch

"They absolutely do not! Now I demand you give me some." She stamped her foot and looked at the dark figure, perched up high where she couldn't reach. "Besides, you're too high, I can't reach you!"

"That's why I hid up here, you can't climb well." Snuffling his nose into the box, he didn't catch the flash of insecurity that crossed Maria's face. When he turned his attention back to her her arms were crossed and a frown was well set in a frown. "Come and get the cookies then," he chuckled, slumping over the fixture to dangle the box below. 

Maria clenched her jaw.

"You know I can't, Shadow."

"That's unfortunate then," he laughed, eyes on the box, sounding like it was not unfortunate at all. "Finders keepers and all that." Wasting no time, his claws tore easily through the inside packaging, sniffing closer as the lemony scent of the cookies hit his nose. The sound of retreating footsteps caught his attention, and he pulled his eyes away from the box, seeing Maria exit the room swiftly.

"Maria?"

Jumping down lightly, the ultimate lifeform followed slowly, cookies forgotten where he had dropped them. 

Instead of slowing, her pace only quickened, steps counting out a hurried staccato against the metallic tiles as she heard him following her, breath coming short and fast like she had been running much longer. His brow knitted in worry.

"Maria wait, please slow down, you know you can't run-"

"I know what I can't do Shadow! Please leave me alone." The words brought him up short, and he stared at her retreating figure, still as a statue. He remained in his spot as she moved through the corridor, able to hear her position through the hallway thanks to his heightened senses. 

She had settled down in two intersecting hallways, one of the few with a window to the outside of the A.R.K. Her breathing was evening out, but at a slow pace. With worry overtaking his shock, his body leapt into action with little grace; Maria hadn't had a fit in days, he realized, but the sudden activity might very well bring one on.

As her breathing got closer, he minded the weight of his steps, trying to minimize the noise the metal soles of his skates made against the tiles. Still, she must have known he was approaching by the way he breath hitched, then evened out forcefully.

"Are you okay? Should I call the Professor-"

“That was hurtful, Shadow.” The blonde girl cut him off with a sniffle, looking out the window to the vastness of space. The station rotated at a very specific speed to keep its artificial gravity intact. Whenever it faced the Earth the two always made a point to see it, admiring the vastness of the planet and exchanging ideas over what they’d do once they finally got to visit.

“But," he began, unsure of how to say this. "I didn’t mean it to be.” Shadow refrained from biting out the words, but he was frustrated. It didn’t make _sense_. All of his statements had been true and accurate, and the ones that had upset her were the teasing ones? She teased him all the time and he’d never made such a fuss about it. Never called it disrespect.

“When someone tells you that you hurt them, you don’t get to decide whether or not it’s true. Whether or not you agree with their feelings. I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt me, but those words were careless.” Sniffing loudly she dug the heel of her palm into her eyes, a watery laugh shaking out.

“Maybe I’m just too sensitive, huh? After all, it was just some stupid pastries.”

The ultimate life form was at a loss for words. The gears in his mind turned and grinded as her words resounded through his head.

The metal lining of his shoes clicked against the metal flooring as he moved to sit near her. Humming above them, the soft glow of the passageway lights bathed them in a gentle glow. Shadow snuck a glance at Maria’s face, heart wrenching to see the deep resignation and disappointment etched into her young features.

“Grandfather has told me I’m too sensitive. And it’s true. When I was younger everything made me cry. If the room was too dark it scared me, if anyone raised their voice too much it-“ her hands clenched the folds of her skirt in her lap, voice barely a whisper now. “It really scared me.”

The words feel like an oozing trickle of ice water down Shadow’s spine. He realizes suddenly he never wants to be someone Maria should feel afraid of.

“I didn’t mean to scare you!” The words are blurted out before he can stop them, gloved hands reaching out to cover her own. Maria blinks, seeing his expression so earnest and open. Her face smooths out into a sad, understanding smile.

“You didn’t scare me Shadow, but it felt as if you don’t respect me because I’m so weak.” Her eyes darted away at that. “And I know I am! But, I suppose it makes me feel sad to be reminded by it. But, I’ll try harder to not let it get to me, to be less sensitive about it.”

And that just wasn’t right, Shadow realized. None of that was right.

“I do respect you, Maria! You’re the strongest person I know, you’re my family!” It was already more than he’d said about any feelings he’d had, but seeing the surprise and tentative joy spark in her eyes spurred him onward. “I didn’t realize my words could have such an impact on you, but I in hindsight, I know they did. I know what I said wasn’t kind, and I don’t want to do it again, I’m just at a loss I-“ he gestured vaguely to their surroundings, “this is a cold environment. But you are not. I see that now. The last thing I want to be is someone who can hurt his family.”

A beat of silence passed between them, before Maria brought up her hand to cover the growing smile on her face, lighting up the dim passageway even with a glimpse. A giggle slipped out. Normally, Shadow might have attempted to act cool to save his carefully constructed image, but he remembered that she was warmth, not coldness.

“Who would have thought you so eloquent, Shadow?”

He chuckled, deep and genuine. “Truly not I, I have to admit.” The smile she gave him chased away the fearful chill that had begun to settle within him. Grasping his hand with both of hers she leaned in to whisper in a conspiratorial whisper.

“Then let’s make a deal right now, you and I, a sibling pact!”

“Oh?”

“Yes, to always push the other to be the best version of themselves they can be! After all, shouldn’t the Ultimate Lifeform strive to be best in all aspects of life?”

The smile on Shadow’s face grew steadily and he nodded briskly, accepting her challenge.

“That I should. And same goes for you too!” They laughed together then; it echoed against the walls and filled the space with a bit more light. The warmth of it seeped into his bones and as he leaned against his sister he looked out the window and felt at peace beneath the dark, unblinking space.

-

Unconsciousness delivered Shadow unceremoniously back to reality. He blinked slowly, returning to consciousness as his mind reeled over the strength of the dream.

Memory?

Suppressing a groan, he rolled to his feet, the patch of darkness that has served as his resting place for the night offered little in the way of relief. Sleep would not welcome him back again, and following the events of the dream/memory, he wasn’t too keen to return to it. A glance at his communicator told him no one had attempted to contact him while he had slept.

Odd, Rouge normally sent him a message following a mission.

He frowned at the device, running through a couple of quick diagnostics. Everything blinked green. With a familiar scowl casting a shadow over his face, he closed the screen.

The dark hedgehog stretched briefly before jumping into a light jog, only shifting to his skates once he felt his muscles warm up sufficiently. He’d find someplace quiet and train alone. While he possessed a great mastery of the use of his chaos there was still much he didn’t understand and could learn about.

He settled into the familiar rhythm, breath evening out. The echo of his dream nibbled at the edge of his mind, refusing to be shoved down. As he kicked his body into motion, he could feel guilt twisting in his stomach. Old and familiar.

It goes ignored.

Normally G.U.N. gave them a couple of days between hard hitting missions to recuperate. Every agent was able to stay at a room in H.Q. if needed, but Shadow despised being in the base any longer than he had to be. Every moment spent in the facility needlessly was a waste. His duty to the world couldn’t be carried out if he wasn’t the best he could be.

_The best version of yourself._

A sharp shake of his head threw the words out. Sentimentality lay in the past, buried along with the rest of him.

The thought rung hollow.

The commander wasn’t in the briefing room when Shadow arrived, taking his usual place between Rouge and Omega. A white ear twitched in acknowledgement but she said nothing as he joined the table. He raised a brow ridge disbelievingly, the pang in his chest returning.

“Are you still upset?” he ventured hesitantly, gauging her reaction. Rouge didn't respond with her usual smile, sighing instead. A perfect poker face was arranged, eyes looking worn nonetheless.

“I’m not upset.” Even with his lack of social graces, Shadow wasn’t foolish enough to buy that. It was the truth but not in it's entirety.

“But you’re troubled?” Finally, she turned her gaze towards him, her expression losing some of the stiffness.

“Not quite.”

But before she could say anymore, the commander strode in, immediately taking control of the room’s atmosphere.

“Listen up!” he barked, fingers already pushing commands into the computer at the head of the room. “You were all granted two full days of rest. As I’m sure you’ll know, that's an irregular allotment considering you were all deployed for two weeks. The reason being because of this.”

The large screen lit up with labyrinthine looking schematics.

“These are the base schematics of yet another abandoned facility in the jungle.” The pads lit up with the files he shared. “Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, just a routine search and sweep, but there have been some incredibly strong pulses of energy. Reminiscent of chaos energy but behaving much more erratically.” Shadow leaned forward, interested piqued.

Chaos emeralds winked in and out of existence seemingly as they pleased. With Eggman’s plans becoming more elaborate, destructive and dangerous so had their appearance. The events of less than two years ago had dealt a powerful blow to the infrastructure of the planet, their rebuilding efforts moving steadily. An emerald would go a long way to keeping them away from Eggman and potentially speeding along rebuilding efforts. Not only that but he might gain enough pull and momentum to go check on the core relief efforts and-

“Agent Shadow.” The commander’s sharp tone snapped him out of his reverie. Muscles locked in place his only tell was a blink, before turning impassive eyes to the commander, who's face radiated only constant disapproval.

“You’ll accompany Charlie Squad into the bottom perimeter chambers. Not too much activity listed there but stay on your toes.”

“Understood.” Ridiculous, he could handle it on his own. A quick scan of the report suggested he was being given a ruined area to investigate. But, orders were orders.

“Agent Rouge and Omega, you will head towards the center chambers and do a deep sweep. Squad Alpha and Beta will accompany you. The energy readings have been strongest here but lay low, this might require a gentler touch.”

They covered several more components of the area, the objective laid out; obtain the emerald if it existed, if not, destroy the energy source.

Orders given, they set out.

For his part, Shadow hoped that the squad he’d been assigned had more skill than the last. Curt introductions were exchanged before they delved into the damp stone of the abandoned structure. Like before, the air was hot and heavy. The sounds of the forest tapered off quickly the more they advanced into the labyrinth. If ever something felt like a grave, it was this.

Leading the front, Shadow kept his senses sharp. According to their schematics, the sweep should be complete upon rounding into the next hallway. Following that, they needed only to loop around, take a larger pathway on the right and meet up with squads Alpha, Beta and Delta in the center chambers. His eyes slid over an odd assortment of rocks, staying on them.

Maybe, once the mission was complete, he could try seeing if Rouge was still upset. Something in his gut told him it wasn’t something he should just wait out, but what else was he supposed to do?

“Sir!”

Eyes snapping back into focus, Shadow was jerked back by a hand. One of the G.U.N. soldiers.

Whipping his head back to deliver a withering stare he found the soldier wasn't even glancing at him, instead staring past him with wide eyes. Scowling he tore his arm out of the grip, turning to see what the commotion was about.

The assortment of rocks was glittering to life, blue light seeping through cracks, and legs unfolding from crack like seams. His head snapped to the side at the sound of stone scraping stone; the one that had launched itself at his face was righting itself, moving jerkily like a bumbling marionette. The agent launched into action, issuing orders out immediately.

“Set up a line, shoot any that move past me.” The words were bitter, but there were so many in that heap of debris, and the shuffle of one stone seemed to disturb others, creating a continuing chain of shivering stone. Bricks in the wall seemed like they were jerking awake from the movement of the pile below. 

A murderous hiss filled the air as Shadow poured chaos energy into his skates, darting forward with a destructive kick to the center of the pile.

One shot towards him.

Twisting nimbly, Shadow dodged it, destroying promptly it with a propelled kick.

The sharp echo of gunfire sounded out behind him. _So, they must be getting past me,’_ he recognized grimly.

An impact knocked him off balance and the offending rock clung to his side, maw opening to revealing glowing, jagged teeth.

He easily destroyed it, but it was replaced by another in a heartbeat. They were like ants, pathetically weak on their own but in a swarm capable of achieving great things. 

_Even, it seems, delaying me._

“Enough of this!” Hand raised, he centered his energy, determined to end their pathetic game. “Chaos-“

They swarmed him, speed increasing exponentially. The increase was so sudden it caught him off guard, concentration broken the chaos energy dissipated before he could focus it sufficiently to carry out his wish.

Shadow managed only a cut off yell before being fully engulfed by the mass of stones. Despite being solid rock they seemed to writhe like insects, pushing and pulling against each other but moving as a single, pulsing mass. Any he destroyed with his limited range of motion were quickly replaced by a faster stone with a more vicious bite. They swarmed around his hands and wrists, dull teeth chomping viciously, pushing one another to apply more pressure to the bite.

‘ _How are they getting stronger?!’_

His train of thought was cut off by the snap of stone against metal.

_The inhibitor_ - _!_ The golden ring snapped off, the lock mechanism giving way under the mounting pressure. Despite being buried under moving rubble, he couldn’t help the smile as the entirety of his chaos energy boiled to the surface.

_If they insist._

"Chaos blast!"

Golden light bathed him in a blinding flash.

The stones closest to him dropped heavily, legs flailing wildly in the air. The destroyed ring clinked uselessly to the ground, sparking weakly in the dirt. Shadow stared at his wrist.

The professor had always called him a leaking battery. Never in cruelty, but his body, as attuned as it was to chaos energy, was not an emerald that could hold it indefinitely. It leaked out of him faster than he could draw it in, like a small crack in a jug. The rings kept a cap on his power and prevented energy from leaking out too fast and killing him in the process. But it didn’t matter, now that it was done, this could be handled quickly.

Creaking loudly, the overturned stones moved upright, maws opening. They appeared engorged somehow, like fat ticks, their strange blue light aquiring an orange hue.

"Chaos blast!"

In a blink, half the swarm covering the room crumbled to rubble. Shadow skidded to a halt, confused and panting loudly.

Panting? This exhaustion wasn’t normal. The energy he’d expended wasn’t nearly enough to warrant this.

From deep within, there was a sharp _pull,_ so strong that it nearly dragged him down physically.

The Ultimate Lifeform shot backwards to gain some distance, a pained hiss escaping through clenched teeth, crimson eyes darting wildly around the narrow corridor. What on Mobius could cause that sort of attack?

At the edge of his vision, his sight began to blur. Little bursts of golden electricity tingled from his arms, pouring out through his left arm and out of his body. Ice shot through his veins, as he suddenly realized what was happening.

They were siphoning his energy.

Every attack made them faster, they’d removed his inhibitor rings and were now sucking him dry. He was little more than broken casing leaking wild chaos energy. Gorged on his strength, the stones were large, fatter, their own blue insides glowing brightly with _his_ chaos energy pouring through the cracks. Every impact, physical or chaos, served to feed them.

It was only a couple seconds later he realized the room growing brighter. With a reluctant hiss, the skates shut off, Shadow glanced up at the wall, breath coming in short bursts. The bullets were glancing off the wall, dealing no visible damage, but the impact left a change…

His eyes widened.

“Stop shooting!” They barely heard him, a couple more shots ringing out before they tapered to an end. But it was too late.

The wall _lurched._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so this def will be longer than 5 chapters but I'll update that once they're posted. Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Within the time he’d awakened on the A.R.K. to his present, Shadow had lived an extremely eventful life. Losing the only family he’d ever known, setting off to achieve a goal of revenge, then learning to move beyond the loss of his past. Getting caught up in that blue hedgehog’s problems and helping him fix them was not part of his original agenda, but Shadow hadn’t really had any plan beyond his promise to Maria. The artificial life form knew what he was, knew who he was, and the steps he took were always deliberate and surefooted. Keeping the world safe was a daunting task, but it was a core tenet of the purpose of his existence.

Long ago, he may have hung onto whatever purpose the professor would have assigned to him, following the path as faithfully as he could. But there was a caveat in the name of the Ultimate Lifeform; he was meant to live. Meant to choose.

Little by little, he’d begun to do so. The promise to Maria acting as a guiding line, but something within him whispered that she might appreciate the foundations stemming from his self and not just from her memory.

Following the near total annihilation of the world at the Doctor's hand and his subsequent defeat, Shadow had wondered what it might feel like to die. He realized that a long life awaited him, and the drudgery of the days served only to add to the weariness he felt remembering that. The six months following the blue hedgehog’s supposed death had been immensely dark for all involved; desperation seeping into the days and the sense of futility growing like an insidious mold.

Then as if by miracle, Sonic was alive and well. Emerging from his imprisonment with the same smile on his face, the glint in his eyes only a fraction harder. And suddenly, Shadow could breathe again, felt alive again, stepping back into the fold of the resistance and the _will_ to survive and fight had returned, gripping his heart with a feverish zealousness.

Now, as Shadow moved at speeds that pushed his natural limit, he felt that same clawing desperation to survive gripping him once more. He was leaping, kicking, and punching. Movements graceful, accentuated with the ruthless brutality that was his fighting style. Each intake of breath ached sharply, a sign that something was very wrong, but there was no time to stop and focus on it. The enemy was too fast and it took the majority of his concentration to provide cover. Charlie squadhad managed to get away, understanding dawning on them that Shadow was only holding off a wave. He couldn’t fault them as they would have only hindered him in the end. More bodies to protect.

With a loud grunt he pulled away, disengaging from the vicious, parasitic stones, trying to twist and move for the precious space needed to land a hit.

“Chaos control!”

Something wasn't right.

The drain on his energy was palpable and the teleportation distance was cut short, delivering him only a couple yards down the corridor. But the engorged stones were too many, sucking up his chaos into their maws, using his own energy to knock him back, corner him. Shadow sucked in a deep breath, pushing screaming muscles to move _faster._

A stone barreled into his chest just then, winding him. He rolled with the momentum, gasping hoarsely from the impact.

Immediately, another latched onto his arm- the one without the inhibitor ring- and, chaos, it was _sucking_ the chaos out of him. 

A spasm rocked through his body in effort to shove the rocks off, part instinct and desperation. The force knocked them off but he was running on empty. Any surrounding chaos energy he could use would be beyond the stones.

A snarl ripped from his throat and his rocket skates hissed as they performed another sharp turn, demolishing several of the stones in the process. The passageway was too small to maneuver in correctly, sharp zig zags cut short by the limited space.

He wouldn’t run away. He couldn’t.

The squad had to alert the rest and give Rouge, Omega and the other groups time to escape.

This was something he could do for them. The only thing he could give them.

“You won’t get past me!” The black hedgehog bared his teeth, adrenaline and fury the only things moving his body. Crimson eyes darted around, wild and desperate, trying to track the trajectory of the stones. He could feel his movements slowing from the hits that were landing with increasing frequency, exhaustion leaving his limbs numb. But battles were muscle memory by now. While he had breath he would fight.

The edges of his thoughts were foggy and tangled and it was becoming harder to follow the darting movements of the writhing mass that threatened to engulf the passageway. Chaos energy was still trickling out of him, a gaping wound that couldn’t be plugged without his ring.

The rocket skates puttered, energy flickering out for half a second only, but it was enough. The Ultimate Lifeform crashed into the earth like a ragdoll.

Most fighters used their natural momentum and strength for balance, but Shadow relied on the push his skates gave him. He was skilled in moving without them, but the energy required to physically propel his body any more through the air simply wasn’t there.

Shadow knelt on the ground, forcing himself to his feet, mentally berating himself for this situation. He’d rushed in, gotten careless, and allowed an unknown entity sap him of the very strength he needed to stay alive.

Pushing his feet into the ground, Shadow strengthened his stance, fists raised in preparation. This time there’d be no energy for any chaos attacks, and the dregs of his strength might be able to buy him a minute or two at most against the physical onslaught.

Panic threatened to bubble up in his throat for the first time, only barely held in control by sheer force of will. The entity writhed within itself leisurely, as if contemplating him. Savoring his exhaustion before the final strike.

A line of stones arced up, adjusting their path towards him.

Shadow braced. Jaw set.

The bloe hit. Pain bloomed along his side, but his mind creaked slowly, realizing it wasn't the pain of attack. His vision was suddenly filled with white… fur? A croak of surprise escaped him.

“What the-“

“Sorry I’m late, hun!” Rouge’s arms were wrapped around him.

Something warm is pressed into his hands and he blinks dumbly, trying to not drop it. A chaos emerald. But how-

It takes a second, but it clicks together. Rouge has rescued him. Instead, of anger his knees nearly buckle, and he's _relieved._  
“I gotcha, hun.” She reassured, voice too high and strained to be normal. Behind them a powerful boom sounded out and Shadow distantly recognizes the familiar cacophony of Omega’s firepower. “Just heal right now, okay? Just take it and heal.”

Slinging a striped arm around her shoulder the bat grabbed him in a more secure hold and proceeded to drag him down the corridor.

The hedgehog knew he was heavier than most Mobians, and his legs still lacked the sufficient strength to do little more than scrabble against the stone floor, yet Rouge seemed unfazed.

“Omega-“

“Shadow, I swear to chaos if you don’t shut up and heal I’m going to carry you.” Beneath her anger, thrummed a note of genuine fear. Shadow gripped the gem tighter as she continued to half-drag him, the haze still weighing his thoughts down.

“They’ll just drain me again, they snapped off my inhibitor ring!” He didn't dare draw anymore energy into his body. The chaos emerald was a self-contained power source, but he was a gaping wound, anything else he drew in would just be cannon fodder to the unknown entity behind them.

Stone walls flew past at an alarming speed, Rouge outpacing the writhing mass of stones, but the rumble behind was growing louder.

Grunting in exertion, she beat her wings, rising higher. The corridor opened up to a chamber, cavernous and wide. In the dim light he could see the rubble of something big in the center.

“Rouge-“ he started to say, but was interrupted by a rough landing on the head of a decorative pillar. Whipping around, the bat rummaged quickly in her bag before the muddled hedgehog even managed to rise to his feet. “We need to-“

There was a click, and Shadow’s gaze finally began to slide into focus as he looked to the source of the sound.

There, on his left wrist. An inhibitor ring.

The plug was filled. He could _breathe_ again, body no longer flayed open and broken. Gloved fingers gripped tight around the pulsating gem as Shadow pulled in its energy, feeling the sudden onslaught tear through his body, simultaneous pain and relief. The energy flowed in like a freezing waterfall, soothing and painful, managing to fill all the empty aches, leaving him whole once more. It crackled through his quills, the excess snapping into the air; he noticed distantly that Rouge flinched but didn't step away.

An exhale, steadier now that energy filled his body, hissed out slowly through clenched teeth.

“I can walk now.” He told her quietly, casting a concerned glance to the corridor they had just emerged from. “Omega-“

“Will meet us outside.” She nodded firmly, turning to go. Shadow stiffened, uneasy about running away from his ally.

As if reading his mind, Rouge turned her head just slightly, tone considerably softer. “Those things suck up chaos energy, he packs a different kind of punch. He’ll be fine.” The tension held in his spines eased slightly.

“How did you know?” he asked, looking back at Rouge who was looping the bag back around her shoulders. They should have all evacuated once he was compromised, it was protocol. And while his squad had been there they hadn't yet seen what the entity could do, that i could feed off chaos energy. Her eyes darted away, flicking quickly to the rubble at the center of the room.

"We had a similar run in, realized they were feeding off chaos," she eyed the blue gem in his hand, frowning, "and then realized they were able to suck the chaos out of a living person with enough prolonged contact. Like ticks. Your squad filled us in as they rendezvoused, and when I saw you hadn't returned I had a bad feeling. But everyone is evacuated so-"

“But _you’re_ still here.” He growled out accusingly. Finally, she turned to face him, worry melting away as she took in his strong stance again. Nodding approvingly she plucked the gem out of his hand, stowing it away in her bag once more.

“You were in trouble, sunshine. Couldn’t leave your grumpy self for some living, chaos-sucking rocks.” She answered easily. The matter settled, Rouge hopped down lightly before the Ultimate Lifeform could find any number of new silly questions to ask her. 

Omega joined Shadow and Rouge outside the mouth of the cavern, mechanical steps even slower than normal. Leisurely, almost. Shadow narrowed his eyes suspiciously, avoiding Rouge’s flailing hands as she explained, very loudly, to the pilot that if he took off without Omega she would shove her pretty boot straight up his-

“TASK COMPLETED, ROUGE, SHADOW. IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU WELL.” The hedgehog's red gaze moved away impassively, but one dark furred ear flicked in acknowledgement.

“Omega! Excellent, let’s leave quickly, this humidity is horrid for my hair.” Rouge’s demeanor flipped on a pin. Relief lined her expression and sharp eyes raked over both Shadow and Omega once more, as if confirming that they were well and truly okay.

Not ten seconds later, the helicopter roared into the air.. Shadow braved a glance out the window to where the cavern could still be seen, vegetation near the open mouth swaying peacefully in the weak breeze.

_It was nearly my tomb._ The thought is a flat realization and it perturbs him more than he thought it would, stirring up heavy emotions. It would have been a good place to die, fulfilling his duty. But, it would have rang so hollow; carrying out a task for an organization that shared little love for him beyond a means to an end. As an asset, it would have been a huge loss to G.U.N. but as Shadow the Hedgehog…

The dark hedgehog turned a half-lidded gaze to the seats opposite of him. Omega sat still, occupying nearly the entire half of the convoy. Beside him Rouge was curled up, looking out the window, a stiffness underneath the façade of leisure.

Shadow swallowed his pride and cleared his throat, wincing inwardly at how raw it felt.

“Thank you. For coming back.” Rouge turned to him and blinked, expression blank for a moment as if she hadn’t been expecting anything from the dark hedgehog. Much less any gratitude. The beginnings of a smile tugged at her lips.

“Team Dark sticks together, sugar.” Omega, wisely, only hummed in approval. Nodding curtly, Shadow returned to the window, the greens bleeding away to the blue, open sky.

Debriefing was quick, having been carried out by the previous squads who had arrived before them. Shadow filled out his report quickly, eager to leave the building, find a decent meadow and maybe rest for a couple of hours.

“Shadow.” Red eyes darted up to see Rouge, looking less tense than before, but still hesitant. The expression lasted for a heartbeat before she tossed him an easy smile, body language turning languid. “Omega and I are heading to the Club, poor guy has to recharge hard tonight. We could use your company.”

And that was it, wasn't it.

Shadow couldn't deny that he had a companionship with Rouge and Omega. Out of all the beings he knew, they were the ones he trusted the most. That wasn't saying much, but despite his failed attempts at articulating any of his thoughts properly they always met him with forgiveness and a smile, taking his brusque nature in easy stride.

It was more than he deserved.

Up until Rouge's exclamation days ago, he hadn't thought to consider that even his friends might be affected by the words he used as a shield, that the dismissal of any of their efforts would eventually take its own toll.

The agent must have lost himself in his thoughts for just a moment, not noticing the gloved hand coming down on the backs of his quills in a quick, painless smack.

"I can practically hear the gears grinding in your head." Her mouth twisted into a wry smile at his surprised jerk. "It's not that hard, hun. The room is yours. It’s always there, no strings attached, all you have to do is accept." There was a clink of metal and Shadow looked down to see a key on his desk. "Yours to use or not use. Just give me a heads up if you plan to throw a rager." She tossed him a wink, turning away to leave.

Crimson eyes flicked between the key on his desk, shining innocuously, and the retreating bat.

It'd happened again. The unstated forgiveness and _acceptance_. The twisting in his gut- all-too familiar now- gnawing at his insides, shaming him. All the chances he was given, by Maria, the professor, Rouge, Omega- hell, even that infuriating blue hedgehog, all tossed aside with little consideration and gratitude. Shadow had believed that he was finally on the path to carving out his own identity to serve the purpose he'd decided on. But it seemed that in the past couple of years very little had changed after all.

The sky outside G.U.N. HQ was dark and silent, even the twinkling lights of the city seemed subdued by his mood tonight. There was the underlying scent of moisture and electricity.

_Thunderstorm,_ he noted distantly. Sleeping in the rain was a fruitless endeavor, even if he found suitable shelter the rest he did manage to obtain was uneasy at best with the cold ground seeping into his very bones, leaving him more sluggish than rested.

He looked at the key in his hand and made a decision.

The lights of the city seemed to glow warmly for a moment, welcoming him.

Club Rouge was a sort of open secret, the bar serving all kinds of clients from casual party goers to a more professional set of night people with whom the bat did business with on occasion. It was a passion project that served her personal and professional interests.

Shadow avoided the bustling entrance to the club, preferring the side route he'd seen the bat take when accompanying her on small missions. The doorway was dark and unmarked and the lock clicked open with the key.

Cautiously, Shadow crossed the threshold, closing and locking the heavy door behind him. The boom of club music was distant, barely audible through what must have been very thick walls. The corridor was narrow and warmly lit, stairs ahead leading up. On the second floor landing was another door; instead of heavy metal it was a dark wood that was more decorative than anything. He raised an eyebrow ridge at it. It was certainly in line with Rouge's tastes, that much was evident.

The wooden door was unlocked to his surprise and he stepped through to find a wide open space, the living room. The decoration was modern and minimal, creams and dark grays, but still filled with small tokens of living that gave it an unexpected warmth. The large TV in the center was on, and from a cream colored couch he saw two large, white ears perk up.

"Omega, darling, could you bring me the bottle of white? I left it next to the fridge."

A smile tugged at Shadow's lips.

"Not Omega," he corrected, heading in direction of the fridge. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed her form flail briefly in her haste to turn around in the couch and stare.

"Shadow?"

"In the flesh," he glanced at her while uncorking the bottle. "What in chaos' name is on your face?" Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, but the smile was genuine and happy.

"A hydration mask, naturally."

"Naturally." he scoffed.

It only took minimal rummaging to find the wine glasses and pour one for her. Corking and placing the bottle away, Shadow made his way to the living area. Rouge took the offered glass happily, curling up on the couch to make room for him.

The dark hedgehog landed with a flop, all too aware of teal eyes watching him curiously.

"It's raining outside." He offered by way of explanation. It was a pathetic one and he knew it by her growing smile.

"Not yet it isn't."

"Well, sleeping in the rain is uncomfortable." The only response he got was a short, bright laugh. An easy silence fell between them and the program provided a soothing background noise. The couch was soft and warm and Shadow found himself relaxing into it more and more, head rolling back against the support.

Not long after, gentle snores joined the program's soft background noise. Rouge smiled over the edge of the glass she was nursing. The striped hedgehog seemed much less tense when he dozed, expression softening without the near-constant scowl that often adorned his features.

She settled into her couch like this, watching the quiet program, allowing her tired friend rest. The soft hues of the television and the warmth of the wineglass brought sleep to the bat's mind, but she found the thought of waking up her friend when he looked so peaceful. 

_He'll wake up with a crick in his neck at this rate_ , she thought bemusedly. To wake him then. But, Rouge had very little experiencing waking up Shadow, unsure of how he might react coming to wakefulness by someone else's hand rather than his own. Frowning for a moment, she set her glass down on the center coffee table, before turning to the dark, sleeping form.

She called his name before reaching out to shake his shoulder, still wary of how he might react. Instead of any of the expected flailing or attacks, one eye cracked open to look at her, bleary but awake.  
"Come on, I'll show you your room, it's late." she smiled, relieved. He got up swiftly, one arm shooting out to correct his balance. Rouge pursed her lips but said nothing, realizing he might be more exhausted than he'd previously let on.

The room Rouge had put aside for him was tucked away in the back of the landing, he was the one with the penchant for privacy. She ushered him past the open door,

"Linens are in the closet, there's only two basic changes right now, should be a towel at least, uh, bathroom has no toiletries except toilet paper of course but if you need to borrow-"

"Rouge," he cut her off, realizing it might turn into a full-fledged tour. "I'll be fine, just need to rest. But... thank you."

It caught her off guard, but she recovered quickly, a soft smile replacing her surprise.

"Good night, then." He only nodded, watching the door close. Instead of the roiling in his gut, he felt centered, at peace. A quick glance around the room told him it was spacious and private, two windows lining opposite walls. 

Slowly, he took out the linens and laid them haphazardly over the mattress, an odd sense of familiarity settling over him in the dim light of the room. Shuffling into the blankets, the Ultimate Lifeform avoided a groan as the bed welcomed him warmly, already leagues better than the softest meadow or even a nice hotel. As he drifted off to sleep he realized why everything seemed so familiar.

It felt like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I grossly underestimated the words it'd take to get what I wanted down. Please leave me your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

The shift in the Ultimate Lifeform’s life was minute but palpable. The basic structure of his life remained much the same, G.U.N. continued to deploy him on missions, but the way he carried himself shifted almost imperceptibly, unnoticed by anyone who didn’t know the hedgehog well.

Over the course of a couple of months he slowly moved into his room at Club Rouge, initially only preferring to sleep there when the weather was too uncomfortable to risk or when he was particularly drained. Rouge rarely commented on his irregular habits, welcoming him when he arrived and calling out a goodbye when he left.

Choosing to sleep there regularly hadn’t been planned, it’d simply… happened. The presence of two friends in near proximity offered more peace of mind as he slept than his own power could alone. And chaos, he had missed sleeping in a bed.

After his first consecutive week in the apartment, Omega had gifted him a small potted plant as a ‘housewarming present,’ an action that the confused hedgehog didn’t understand, but accepted nonetheless. The plant required frequent attention and, in his determination to keep it alive, he’d nearly killed it in the first week.

Doubling down, he returned more often to his room, determined to see the thick, leaves grow and _stay_ , chaos damn it. The thought of the puny plant besting him was enough incentive to go out and buy materials for plant care. 

He’d made quite the sight too, glower shifting between two different books on botany in the store. No associate had dared ask him if he needed assistance- much to his chagrin because while he would die before admitting it, he had.

The second plant had been a gift from Rouge after she’d caught him in their living room with the book on botany care (he’d ended up buying both).

She’d stared at him until he met her gaze, seeing an idea take form. Shadow closed the book pointedly, greeting her flatly. Rouge had smiled in response and slinked away, without a single comment.

It appeared outside his doorstep with a small blue ribbon. After a beat of hesitance he’d simply scooped it up and placed the small pot next to the sill, examining its leaves to try and determine what kind of attention it might need. That one began to grow almost immediately, slender long thin leaves pouring out over the edges of the pot like spider’s legs. Proud of his work, Shadow stepped back to assess the plants with a huff of satisfaction.

It was soothing. Caring for the plants. The initial burning determination to master the paltry things had fizzled out quite quickly, replaced by a calming sense of purpose that was familiar and comforting.

In the grand scheme of things, Shadow was very aware of his identity and purpose. But it was all so large, the magnitude of his path sometimes drowning out the possibility of anything else.

These things were small and straightforward. Required very little and responded positively when he gave them what they needed; thrived even. It was a simple purpose.

Following that, he’d pick up the odd plant then and now. Sometimes at the market, while buying a bigger pot, he’d point to one that caught his eye and take it home as well. Sometimes, they were gifts from Rouge or Omega, who latched onto his fascination with plants with a fervor he didn’t quite understand.

Within the Ultimate Lifeform a shift thrummed deeply, subtle but unmistakable, like a foundation of stones settling itself more securely.

Rouge no longer needed to ask him. He’d walk back with them following the end of their shift, listening to inane chatter, providing a short quip when needed. 

On his free days, he rested in his room, trained elsewhere, or lounged in the living area, often joined by a companion who always wrested the T.V. control from him with little complaint.

Instead of bleeding into an interminable blob of waiting for the next dance with death, Shadow found himself enjoying his moments of respite and seeking them out more and more.

Bleary images filled Rouge's eyes. Focusing on the steps in front of her took monumental effort. The only way she'd managed to unlock her door had been a combination of blind luck and muscle memory.

The steps that led up to her apartment had never seemed so long or so high. Tumbling past the heavy wooden door, she fell heavily against the tiny table that stood near the entrance., bracing her good side against it's edge. Wobbling from her weight, a small vase toppled to the floor, glass shattering against the wooden floor.

Rouge could hardly find it in her to care, the pain in her back shrieking with the smallest disturbance.

_Just make it to the kitchen, girl. You can patch this up. No big deal._

Breathing through gritted teeth Rouge pushed off the tiny table, aiming herself towards the island of the kitchen. From there, she could move to the closet tucked near the back, where the big first aid kit was.

Path plotted out, she made it as far as the kitchen before her knees buckled. Twisting so she'd land on her side she bit back a yell of pain, breathing hard through gritted teeth.

_Maybe, I can rest here for a bit before trying to move again._

That seemed reasonable.

The bat didn't dare adjust on the ground, feeling the cooling blood on her back stretch against the jacket she'd thrown on to cover up the mess. Brief flashes of the battle crossed her mind, the old act of analyzing encounters kicking in as her body slackened on the ground, tension bleeding out.

"Rouge?"

Teal eyes snapped open.

Shit. Shadow.

She'd rushed to get home. She'd _forgotten_ he'd be home tonight. Omega was deployed for the next couple of days but Shadow wasn't.

"Hey hun," she rasped out, a weak attempt at levity. Her large ears flickered as she heard his bare feet padding across to her. The smell of blood was heavy and thick in the air. Her jacket must have been soaked with it now.

"Rouge, what in chaos-"

The black hedgehog appeared in front of her with a blur, kneeling down, arms reaching out but hesitant.

"Tangoed with the wrong partner." The tone of her words was falling flat, and crimson eyes flashed with worry before settling back to their default, impassive state.

"I'm taking you to a hospital." He decided with a firm nod, more for himself than for her, she noted with the part of her mind that always took in the small nuance of the black hedgehog’s body language.

But all rationale was drowned out by the sinking panic that threatened to drown her as his words sunk in. Rouge's eyes went wide. Images of tattered wings, bloodied scalpels, and a piercing scream ran through her mind. She twisted away, sheer panic drowning out the pain that lanced down her back.

"No!” she gasped. “No hospitals! You can't make me!"

Instantly, Shadow stepped back, his own face mirroring her alarm for a flash before shuttering again.

"Fine." He said, "okay no hospital."

"I can patch myself up,” she ground out, grappling the lashing emotion into order. “Just help me to the island." She shook off the cold grip of fear, the pain in her back screaming out again with a vengeance.

As gently as he could, Shadow helped her to her feet, using his strength to compensate for hers. 

Their pace to the island was slow. In their hobbling, the black jacket that had been slung loosely over her shoulders slid off.

Rouge felt Shadow turn to stone beside her.

He could see it.

"What. Happened." The words sounded barely restrained. But Rouge could hardly focus on them, the island swimming in and out of focus, only a couple steps away now. Her knees shook, threatening to buckle again.

_Oh chaos, if I fall again I really will scream this time._

As if sensing her thoughts, the black hedgehog was moving again. Supporting her as he led her to the island. Once there, she leaned against it, almost doubling over entirely, body bowing in submission to the pain that racked through.

The clink of metal against marble centered her for a brief moment, as she realized Shadow had grabbed the large kit and was methodically removing items from it.

"I can do it." Rouge had patched up her own wings exactly once after… after no one else could.

"You're more likely to pass out at this given moment," he said, words clipped.

Rouge waited for the panic to engulf her again as deft hands swiped antiseptic across the shallowest cuts across her back, but it never came.

_Huh._

"I have a steady hand," he assured her. Turning her head, she watched him blearily, eyes sliding in and out of focus.

The sting on the smaller cuts barely fazed her. It was the wing...

Shadow must have thought so as well, hands hesitating when he finally reached them.

Her right wing had almost been torn off. It was certainly broken, but had she not twisted at the exact moment she had... The bat suppressed a shudder.

 _But my wings are intact,_ her mind whispered the words like a prayer, a guard against the torrent of fear that raged and threatened to sweep her away.

But for it, she'd suffered a deep gash curving around the joint of her left wing. Not close enough to the delicate muscles to leave any permanent damage, but close enough to render that side useless until it healed.

"You'll have to stitch it shut," she provided, shooting for teasing but landing closer to apprehension. Shadow the Hedgehog rarely hesitated, but right now the gauze in his hands touched briefly around the cut, as if unsure how to touch it.

"I have to disinfect it first." His words sounded regretful, and despite the gash in her back Rouge wanted to turn around to reassure him. Shadow was a ruthless, brutal fighter. Cruelty was not unknown to him, but he was never cruel for pleasure. Never cruel for himself. It was only the role he’d been given and he’d accepted it. But she knew, and would die believing, that cruelty had never been an inherent part of him.

Nodding as briskly as she could, Rouge straightened up, not letting go of the island.

"Right, get me the painkillers and the bottle of white."

_"What?"_

"It's gonna hurt like hell, sunshine, let me have a buzz."

"Don't we have anesthetic?" He eyed the medical kit accusingly, as if blaming it for it's paltry contents.

"'Fraid not. We've been out for awhile. But it's alright, I've done this before. It won't be too bad."

She offered him a smile and a wink for good measure.

Shadow frowned, but turned to grab what she requested.

"You're absolutely insane." He called out.

Rouge replied with a tired chuckle. The blood loss left her feeling faint, but she watched the black hedgehog move around the kitchen, then apartment, pouring in little bursts of speed to move faster.

It’d been a little over three months since he’d moved in full-time.

Originally, their friendship had been purely professional. But the bat couldn't help but find something familiar in her interactions with him. Even when he was insufferable. His actions, when it counted, spoke leagues more than words ever could. And as much as Rouge loved her pretty words, this was good in her book too.

They were a team. At some point ambling over to friends territory with a fair amount of pushing on her part.

He returned soon after, handing out what she requested.

Rouge wasted little time, downing the pills with quick pulls of the wine, too quick to be anything but unpleasant. Once it was down she leaned on her elbows, gritting her teeth.

“Okay.”

She was ready.

For the first time, Shadow was thankful he was well acquainted with injuries, his and others.

Rage and concern suffused his entire being, threatening to make his hands shake as he attempted to patch Rouge together. But this wasn’t about him, he had to remind himself. Neither his rage, nor giving himself twitchy hands as a result, would be useful right now.

“Have you done this before?” He asked, pouring some alcohol out to sanitize the instruments a second time, stalling for time. Her body had been under extreme duress for chaos knew how long. He'd have to keep her mind alert, at least for the time being.

“Mm,” she groaned, eyes flickering shut. “My sister and I would often patch each other up like this. Especially our wings.” 

The black hedgehog's ears twitched in surprise at that.

Sister?

Granted, Rouge had rarely ever talked about family and he had never asked. Those subjects were an unspoken taboo, neither trying to delve into territory that was jealously guarded.

But.

Rouge had always offered up knowledge easily, if asked. A sort of hollowness settled in his gut as he realized he didn’t know because he simply hadn’t asked. Her brand of interactions could be infuriating, but she had never pressed him for information.But if prompted, she rarely withheld anything. When he brushed off her concern, she responded with trademark huffiness, but dropped the matter. 

Shadow realizes that's why he initially chose her and Omega as companions first. Kindred spirits, in a sense. While not initially comfortable or happy with working with _anyone_ , he had nonetheless appreciated the mere act of acceptance without demand.

Some things still seemed beyond his grasp. He might never be like Rouge, so open in her affection, or like Sonic, with endless optimism, but Shadow also knew that wasn't the point. 

One thing he certainly wasn't, was a coward. He could try.

Something within him shifted, not unpleasantly, no longer barred shut.

“Tell me about her.” He prompted, softly. 

Her back expanded with a deep breath, causing him to jerk away his hand in surprise. Before he could say anything she spoke.

“Her name was Sasha." Her eyes looked far away, fond and sad. "She was a bombshell, like her older sister,” a tell-tale smirk lilted in her voice, wistful. “I was the looks and the kick that came right after, but she was the fury.” Rouge’s eyes cracked open, but they were far away, in another time.

“We patched each other up after jobs, after one gone bad I rushed her to the hospital.” She licked her lips, brows knitting together. “The doctor wasn’t used to dealing with wings. Especially not bat wings. She saved her life but…-”“

At her pause Shadow stopped his ministrations. He knew how important flight was to winged creatures. Losing it was akin to losing a sense, or a limb. It robbed them of their natural gifts.

Placing a gloved hand over her good shoulder, Shadow squeezed lightly, hoping to convey that he understood. The pain of seeing a loved one suffer was a great one. It was those memories of Maria that continued to haunt him even then. Seeing her grow sicker and weaker, being powerless to stop it despite being _made_ for that.

And Rouge had taken her sister to that hospital. How long had that rattled in her mind?

“The doctor saved her life, but her wings were never the same afterward.” Her tone fell flat. It was an old wound that continued to ache. “After that, I never went back to the doctor for wing injuries again.” An airy chuckle floated out. “Isn’t that silly?”

“Not at all.”

“Hm. Well, no flight could never stop Sash. That girl was hands down the best pilot and driver I’d ever seen. She could perform miracles with just about anything with a motor. When we were a team, getting to and away from a scene was never an issue.” Shadow could almost see this girl, so much like Rouge but still different. Acting as a balance and sharing in her fiery spirit and kindness.

“She sounds quite amazing.”

“She was.” A gloved hand reached around to grasp his. “She really was.” In this moment, the conversation could end organically, Rouge having delved further into her past than she ever had before. It felt... delicate and important, like it meant something. He wasn’t sure what it could be. But, for the first time he could realize that he wasn’t as indifferent to it as he pretended to be.

Shadow shot her a sideways glance.

“Tell me more.”

A slow smile suffused her face, filled with love and sadness.

“Oh, where to begin. Sasha was headstrong and sweet, and as I mentioned before, a total man-killer bombshell like her older sister, but she never quite had a handle on social engineering the way I did.,”

Shadow listened intently, chuckling when he realized that Sasha and Rouge, despite having opposing personalities, were more similar than they might have realized. Loyalty and kindness seemed to run in their blood, remaining even after losing the last member of her family. 

Even though some of the words remained tinged with guilt, they seemed mostly fond and bittersweet sad. The loss a wound that had long since stopped bleeding.

Rouge lived fully to honor Sasha’s memory, reminiscing the times they spent together with sadness, but an old happiness tinged her words as well. Those times were firmly in the past. They weren’t broken or angry and bitter.

 _Not like you_.

“I guess some things never change, huh?” 

Shadow was brought back to the present, blinking once in surprise. “How do you mean?”

“My sister was the only person to ever tend to my wings. We never trusted anyone else to do it.” She met his surprised stare with a half-lidded stare and an easy upturn of her mouth.

 _Oh_. 

“Thank you,” he replied slowly, the words still sounding strange in his mouth. But the magnitude of what she had just told him, what she had called him, began to hit him, and he offered a small, rare smile. “I’m honored.”

He glanced at his no longer white gloves and quirked a brow at the bat.

“Written in blood, I suppose.” She giggled.

“You owe me new gloves.” Tugging them off he chucked the material into the bin.

A question tugged in the back of his mind. Under everyday circumstances, he might quash t down and leave it to gather dust. But, something urged him forward. A little whisper that was equal parts curious and uncertain. The hostility and anger he felt whenever he thought about the past wasn’t as strong, but it was still there. But, the thought of asking didn’t seem quite so daunting anymore.

“How… how do you remember her so happily?” 

“What do you mean?”

He gestured vaguely, struggling to voice his thoughts.

“Sasha. She was dear to you, your _sister._ ” He said the word like a prayer. “And her loss was a tragedy, a source of pain for you. But if you hadn’t told me, I never would have guessed otherwise. How…How did you do it?” Crimson eyes struggling to meet her teal ones glance away briefly in out of shame. But Rouge only smiled in understanding, sitting up to meet his gaze better, nodding like she was prepared for this.

“I was angry for a long time,” she admitted. “Sasha died young, senselessly too to boot, and her memory will still brings me tears. I still have trouble acknowledging the fact that she’s dead.” A steely glint shone briefly in her eyes.

“But I knew my sister. Better than anyone else. And after a while I realized that if she ever saw the way I was living my life, she’d not only be disappointed in me, but _furious_ as well.”

That drew out a chuckle from both of them.

“What I’m trying to say,” she continued, “is that at first, I put myself together because I knew it’s what she would have wanted. She would have wanted me to keep on living and to move on after I’d grieved. I didn’t want to do that at first. It felt too much like forgetting. Time helped, of course, but the pain eased. And I eventually realized that I had to live for me as well as for her. It’s tough to describe,” she winced as she raised an arm to scratch her head, feeling the muscles pull on the fresh stitches. “Memories of her are filled with happiness, what makes them hard is remembering that she’s gone. That I'll never see her again.”

The dark hedgehog only hummed in acknowledgement.

The silence settled comfortably. A balm against the blunt pain the topic had brought. The only sound that filled the silence was the rustle of gauze as Shadow carefully covered the fresh stitches.

She wasn’t sure what prompted her to ask, maybe it was the shared vulnerability, but if anytime was good, it was now.

“Tell me about her.” Rouge looked to him with something of a challenge in her eyes, echoing his initial request herself; Shadow knew exactly who she was talking about. “I know she was dear to you. Her memory shouldn’t be a secret.”

He was silent for so long that for a moment, Rouge worried she might have gone too far, battered him back in the screen he lived through. 

Feeling the last piece of gauze being applied, she straightened tenderly, about to offer an out, a change in topic. 

The expression she was met with brought her up short.

“It’s. It’s hard–-“ he began, a dull pain flashing in his eyes. He’d let go of the past, he _had._ So why was it still so hard to talk about her. Rouge only waited. She could tell that part of him wanted to share, while the other continued to shy away from the tangled web of pain that must still accompany the thought of her death.

“She was. The kindest person I knew. I didn’t deserve her. I was supposed to save her.” Red eyes far away now, he thought back on kind words and unconditional love. “She died to give me a chance to escape. And I wish it had been different.”

“Sounds like she gave you a shot at life.”

“Huh?”

“She gave herself up to let you live, hun.” Her words were so casual she may as well have been commenting on the weather, but her eyes shone with an intense earnestness. “That’s the ultimate sacrifice, and she did it because she loved you, just like you would have done had the situation been reversed.” 

A gloved hand clenched into a fist.

“I wish it had been me.”

“I know.” She took his fist, holding it gently. “And that feeling won’t ever go away,” a rueful smile crossed her face. “But you can continue to honor her last act and request. You can try to live, not just for her, but for yourself.”

The urge to rip his fist away and storm off nearly overwhelmed him. The rush of emotions was too much; sadness, guilt, regret, and anguish threatening to undo the painstaking control he had crafted over so many years.

But.

Shadow had never been a coward; had never been one to run away from truths, no matter how ugly or painful. He constantly sought it out and was willing to come to terms with whatever the truth could be. 

And the truth was, he truly had not been living. Not in a way that would honor what Maria had done.

“I suppose it’s unsurprising that, in some rare cases, I’ve been a bit of a fool.” 

The look Rouge gave him was priceless, mouth dropping in shock before she threw her head back, laughter echoing around the empty kitchen.

“I have to admit, I definitely didn’t expect that,” she giggled, bringing her laughing fit under control.

The black hedgehog only huffed, a weak smile playing on his lips.

“I aim to please,” he grumbled, rising to his feet smoothing out his expression. “Can you walk? I should try to get you into bed. …Somehow...” He glanced at her back, dubious she should be laying down anytime soon. Rouge only waved a hand in dismissal.

“I can’t actually lie down for a couple of days, or fly up to my perch, but help me to the recliner in the corner. That’s what it’s for anyway.”

“Thank Chaos,” His relieved tone garnered a suspicious glance from Rouge. “I thought you just had poor taste after all.” 

The punch that darted out to hit him wasn’t as strong as normal, but still stung. “Rude!”

Shadow snorted at her scandalized expression.

It only took a little bit of maneuvering before he managed to get Rouge in the recliner with a blanket.

"All things considered, hun." Rouge yawned, fangs glinting briefly in the pale light and a dark blanket over her form, "I'm glad you were here." 

Her eyes then shuttered, the exhaustion from the day finally winning the battle. Shadow watched as her breath evened out as she drifted deeper into slumber.

"Me too." He answered finally, and this time isn't surprised at the ring of truth in the words.

Kinship hadn't always felt so foreign to the black hedgehog. Once, he'd breathed in and given it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It had been what he'd been made for.

He'd fallen out of practice but maybe... maybe he could relearn how again. Rouge seemed content with his efforts, even if they fell pathetically short.

Shadow dimmed the living room lights before moving to the kitchen. There was a mess of blood and glass on the ground, tools still laying on the counter where they’d been forgotten. Cleaning up and disinfecting took less than five minutes.

Once in his room, he glanced at the rocket skates by his bed before making a decision.

Rouge slept on as he slipped out of the apartment, down the steps and into the warm night.

Hissing to life, the skates carried him further and further away from the apartment. The night was clear, open and dark, with no moon to light the paths before him. Shadow pushed harder, leaving the city entirely. The anger he had suppressed earlier flaring back to life with a vengeance.

 _Who could have managed to inflict that kind of damage?_

Normally, he rarely had to worry about his team mates, their combat prowess easily standing up to enemies. There had been no missions for any of them save for Omega either, who had been dispatched to a nearby city. Rouge’s mission had either been personal in nature or a contract she’d acquired outside of G.U.N.

The Ultimate Lifeform rarely involved himself in the affairs of his comrades, not unless asked to. But the vulnerability he’d seen from Rouge tonight was new. Not that he hadn’t appreciated their talk. But as injured as she was, it was hard to believe that this had been a purely professional mission.

The sense of grounding he’d felt earlier fled in the face of the unfolding thoughts, speed increasing as his anger mounted.

Even if it had been a private job, which was likely as she’d been reluctant to share details, the cruelty of the cuts were abnormal. Rouge was not the kind of person to seek revenge and very likely only considered this a professional setback.

Shadow on the other hand, did not.

Aboard the A.R.K., he had observed many precise cuts to better understand the nature of healing. Especially with chaos energy, it was such a delicate process. Even if Rouge had allowed him to, he might have hesitated on her wings upon further examination of the delicate interlocking muscles.

But for the rest that littered her back that he did treat and get a better look at, he noticed something even more concerning: the wounds were too clean in nature. Too precise and deliberate to have been inflicted by an impulsive or inexperienced assailant, nor in any way suggested they occurred by accident.

Whoever did this knew _exactly_ what they were doing. They were also someone who had the skills and a clear objective in mind carrying out such a calculated, premeditated attack capable of inflicting that degree of injury with that level of precision on a highly trained GUN agent.

But who? What was their motive and why was Rouge their target? The thoughts swirled in his mind, turning up more questions than answers the longer he dwelled on them.

Caught up in his darkening and speeding down some countryside he didn’t notice the blue blue running to match his trajectory until he was running beside him.

The jovial voice that rung out did _nothing_ for his foul mood.

“Morning, Shads!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's arrived!  
> Fic is growing in length, I'll keep a chapter cap on it and adjust as I go. Please treat it gently.
> 
> This chapter is much longer than my other ones but cutting it would have left it feeling weirdly disjointed.  
> I realize this is a Sonadow fic without Sonic appearing four chaps in. The irony is not lost on me.
> 
> I hope this is as enjoyable to read as it is to write.


	5. Chapter 5

“Morning, Shads!”

_Of all the inopportune times–!_

As if carved in stone, Shadow stared straight ahead and kicked his body into a faster rhythm. It was the wrong move, as the blue hedgehog only perked up and sped up to match him.

“A _race_ , Shads? You shouldn’t have, I thought our reservation wasn’t until next week.”

“Find someone else to bother, hedgehog.” He snapped out, the wind whipping the words away. But Shadow didn’t care if Sonic heard him or not.

“Oh great! For a second, I thought your broodiness had left you mute.”

Shadow snarled wordlessly, he wasn’t in the mood to entertain him. But even trying to lose him would quickly turn into a race and, as much as he hated to admit it, the hedgehog was _fast._ If he wanted to lose him, he couldn’t do it on such open ground.

A sharp turn to the east confused the blue blur for only a heartbeat before he whipped around, gaining back the brief distance Shadow had put between them.

“Gotta try a little harder than that to lose me.” The grin in his voice was evident.

Up ahead, the tree line loomed, dark against the early morning sky. Shadow grit his teeth, pouring energy into his skates.

The world grew quiet in the trees. The peace disturbed by the bursts of chaos Shadow used to quickly change direction and sonic booms caused by his unwelcome running partner. Shadow weaved through the trees with ease. Sonic was fast on ground, but he had to slow down just enough to avoid trees, rocks and foliage.

Leaping easily over a fallen log Shadow felt the beginnings of a grin crawl onto his face. Sure he’d been trying to lose the hero, but winning was _fun._

“Smart move, but you have to try a little bit harder than that to outpace the fastest thing alive.”

The hero’s voice rang out beside him and he braved a glance, seeing green eyes flick to him briefly, nearly glowing with the rush of the race.

Shadow’s brief smile was quickly replaced by a scowl.

“Fine then.” He snapped. The damn hero was obstinate, so Shadow would give him something to write home about. “Keep up then, faker,” Blue ears flicked to him, surprise crossing Sonic’s face before settling into a grin that sparked fire in Shadow’s chest. “If you can.”

“You’re on!”

They both ended up skidding to a stop at nearly the precise, same moment. Before the two surprised hedgehogs was the wide expanse of the ocean, waves crashing peacefully onto the shore.

“Huh, I didn’t realize we’d gone that far.” Sonic panted. The tightness in his chest lessened now that he had a moment to catch his breath.

That race had been _good_. He rarely had the chance to go so fast and for so long in situations that didn’t involve Eggman or saving the world.

Turning to his grumpy counterpart Sonic opened his mouth to speak before noticing the flurry of expressions cross over the black hedgehog’s expression.

“Shadow? You alri–”

“Fight me.” 

Sonic’s jaw clicked shut before he recovered. “What?”

Shadow rolled his eyes, but Sonic felt all the levity flee the air surrounding them at the flash of anger in his eyes. It wasn’t directed at him, he knew this nearly instinctively, but it charged the air with a sharp tension that might explode with the slightest misstep. The black hedgehog’s voice was nearly a growl.

“Are you deaf? Let’s spar, you fool.”

Shadow felt like he was burning. The race had been good, chipping away at the molten chunk of anger that had settled in his chest. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

He needed to move. Needed to do something that wasn’t just standing still or running. He wanted to fight.

Sonic was still staring at the ocean, appreciation flitted over his features for the view. And it was lovely, the rising sun over the ocean. But Shadow could care less for it right now.

There were few allies that the Ultimate Lifeform could say matched him in ability. Sonic, he begrudgingly admitted, was a worthy opponent. He could measure up to Shadow in a fight. 

“Fight me.” The words were a quiet demand. Unexpected as well, from the gawking stare that Sonic gave him. Shadow felt a flash of satisfaction at the sight, getting the drop on him was a rare occasion indeed.

“What?”

“Are you deaf? Let’s spar, you fool.”

“Oh! Okay.” He agreed easily, like it was the most reasonable request, body lowering slightly into a loose but ready position. Shadow realized as he shifted into his own stance that sparring might actually be something the hero did just for fun. 

Figured.

“Can I ask why you wanna spar?” The damned smile was back. Shadow only returned a flat stare.

“No.” And he shot forward, fist poised to deliver a devastating blow.

Except Sonic was no longer there.

“A frontal attack? Gotta say you’re killing me with the originality here.” The black hedgehog didn’t even bother to turn. Twisting his upper body, he raised a burning skate to whip through the air to the source of the voice.

Sonic leapt back, seeming to be hardly fazed by the warmth of the crackling chaos energy passing over his face.

“Whoa! You’re really not holding back.” He didn’t seem to be accusing, a surprised eagerness seeping into his words.

Shadow raised a brow ridge at that. “Why would I?” He wasn’t really in the business of holding back, especially when he knew exactly what his opponent was capable of. Sonic’s answering grin was tinged with something the Ultimate Lifeform couldn’t quite place, but riled up a primal instinct.

“Hope you don’t mind if I do the same.”

“I’m counting on it.”

The words had just barely left his mouth when something impacted him from the left. 

_How did he-_

Shadow shook the question from his head, twisting to grab Sonic’s spinning form-

“Whoa-”

-and _fling_ him into the nearest palm tree.

“Less talking, more fighting, hedgehog.” He hissed out. Wrath still burned brightly beneath the surface but Sonic’s words were distracting. 

Sonic grabbed the slender trunk smoothly, positioning his body to shoot down like a bullet.

“Hey Shads you can’t just go grabbing people like that. They might get the wrong idea” A wild grin spread across his face and it was slightly different than the one he normally wore that Shadow stared at it a beat too long. 

Sonic launched into a spin attack, razor sharp quills tearing up the sand in a wild frenzy. Shadow barely had time to respond with his own spin dash to avoid being sliced open by a rolling chainsaw of quills. A warm flash of alarm surged through him; hedgehog quills possessed an unusual durability and strength, his and Sonic’s moreso given their encounters with large amounts of chaos energy. Shadow had seen those quills tear through sheets of metal. 

But, then again, so had he.

Sonic’s greater momentum knocked him back. They landed on the sand at the same time, red and green eyes assessing the other with renewed focus.

The sand was a disadvantage to his skates, he realized, needing more time and focus to control his movements. And Shadow wasn’t in the mood to think too much for this battle.

Yellow chaos energy flared to life and in a black blur he shot back into the woods they had just arrived from.

Sonic blinked, before shooting off in pursuit, crowing with glee.

“Got you on the ropes, then!”

“In your dreams.” The anger still burned beneath the surface but something else had joined it. Using his forward momentum, he swung around, leg raised in preparation for a kick.

In one fluid motion, Sonic dropped into a skid, feeling the heat of the skate rush over him briefly. The quick flash of yellow energy paired with the strong poise of Shadow’s roundhouse kick held a fleeting entrancing beauty. Sonic felt like he was skidding in slow motion, struck by how brief it really was. Like a lightning strike. 

Straightening, he aimed a kick to Shadow’s still twisting figure, sneaker planted firmly on the back of his quills.

The Ultimate Lifeform grunted out in surprise before tumbling forward into the dirt. On his feet in an instant he leveled a fiery stare at the grinning hero.

“I’ll _splatter_ you across this field.” Sonic only laughed, all too used to Shadow’s violent quips in battle, the bright sound threatened to scatter Shadow's anger and focus. He gritted his teeth against it.

“You can sure try!”

Sonic ducked another hissing skate to the head, rolling forward to build up speed.

 _Shadow’s really getting into this,_ he thought with a grin. The black hedgehog’s expression had that ‘In the Zone’ look that Sonic’s had seen many times now in battle.

“Are you going to fight or keep running away, hedgehog?”

In response, Sonic twisted on the floor before a sneaker shot out, missing the Ultimate Lifeform only due to a quick jerk back. Undeterred, Sonic jumped forward, shooting out two deft punches. Shadow blocked them at the last second with an arm, grunting from the force of their impact.

Sonic loved sparring. It was always so liberating to go toe to toe with allies, especially strong ones. The battle wasn’t tainted by high stakes, the risk of death, the urgent need to protect people caught up in the carnage-

He shook his head internally, but the lapse in focus was all Shadow needed to land a firm punch to his gut. 

“Mind wandering?” He asked coolly, the cocky edge to his voice back. Sonic responded with his own punch, a clumsy one, to the black hedgehog’s shoulder. It still landed solidly, fist moving at over 90 mph.**

“Getting cocky?” He grinned at the look of surprise that crossed the other’s face, who clearly didn’t expect him to take the gut punch so well. “Don’t underestimate me, Shads.”

“Underestimate you? Impossible.” The unexpected compliment brought a brief flash of color to the hero’s muzzle. Shadow narrowed his eyes as Sonic launched into motion again.

The forested area that had surrounded them was marked by the signs of chaos energy, physical attacks, and the wakes of their near constant sonic booms. A quasi-clearing had been formed from the force of their battle, the smell of fresh upturned earth filling the air. The sun blazed brightly, the cool morning long since dissipated to give way to an uncomfortably hot afternoon.

Silence broken only by the sound of punctuated breathing and the thud of landing blows. Their surroundings had long ago faded into an indistinguishable blur of greens and browns to the two fighters, who saved the dregs of their focus for the opponent before them. To the two hedgehog’s in question, it was an intoxicating flurry of skill, speed, and power. 

Shadow leapt into the air as Sonic did, his reaction an impressive show of skill. A feral grin replaced his usual stoic facade. It was captivating, the blue hero realized, his own grin growing in response. A crackling lance of chaos energy shot from chaos hands straight to Sonic’s head. Ready for it, Sonic leapt to the side. The energy singed his fur, the speed of it too great to give a wide berth. The earth where he’d just been standing exploded from the force of the impact.

Sonic laughed and took a rushing step in. The pain of all the blows throbbed dully through his body. It was exhilarating. 

The quips had ended past the first two hours of their spar, neither having the energy or breath to focus enough on dishing them out. The sparring session was edging into the four and a half hour mark, neither hedgehog being willing to admit exhaustion or an end to the battle. 

“Tired yet, hedgehog?” It was the first time one of them spoke, ears ringing from the intermittent groans of snapping wood, sonic booms, and chaos explosions. Shadow glared at Sonic, and emerald eyes sparked weakly, fur matted with sweat and dirt.

“I’m feeling fresh as a daisy.”

“You smell like one too” Shadow wrinkled his nose as he ducked underneath a swinging punch. Sonic winked, momentum translating into a sharp elbow snapping down onto the Ultimate Lifeform’s back. He slammed into the earth face down

“Gotta say, sticks and dirt are a good look on you, give you a very down to earth vibe.”

“Chaos, I think I preferred you when you shut up.” Shadow groaned into the earth. Dirty, singed gloves gripped the ground, limbs threatening to tremble, and he heaved to his feet. More lethargic than before, Shadow conjured up another chaos spear, launching it with as much strength as he could towards the spot where Sonic was standing. Which wasn’t very fast.

Sonic darted out of the way, feeling the earth lunge up from the force of the blast. It was too slow to avoid the full impact from the burst, so he decided to use it. Rolling forward into a spin dash the exploding launched him forward, the blue blur tore around the clearing once, mustering up enough speed before homing in on Shadow. Expecting the attack, Shadow’s own spin dash met Sonic head on. The screech of the two clashing against each other was painfully shrill, razor sharp quills sounding more like grinding metal. 

In unison, they broke away, landing heavily on the ground.

Neither hero’s stamina was something to scoff at. But a four hour non stop battle with someone who truly required the most of their focus was exhausting, and both felt the toll.

“Why don’t you just give up so this can be over.” Shadow suggested, quickly shaking the tingles from his throwing arm.

“No way, Jose. Do you know who you asked to spar with?” Sonic shot him a cheeky, growing when he saw the flash of annoyance in red eyes. Shadow shifted again into a proper position to attack, but Sonic’s eyes caught on the reluctance. It seemed like it would continue until one of them was too exhausted to continue, which shouldn’t be long now-

“Unless.” The words were said thoughtfully, suspiciously. Shadow narrowed his eyes at the calculating look in emerald eyes. “We could call it a tie.” 

The black hedgehog paused to consider..

“ _If_ you tell me why you wanted to spar.”

“What.” 

“Yeah! We’ll sit back and relax, maybe-”

“No.”

“Oh. That’s a shame then.” The way this was said seemed to indicate otherwise. “Because I just found a fresh new burst of energy.

 _Oh, if looks could kill_ , Sonic thought, not at all intimidated by the stormy expression on Shadow’s face. When they had first met Shadow had tried to kill him, their following interactions slowly grew away from a wary alliance to tentative-kinda-friends. But, despite all his bluster and terrible one-liners and threats to destroy him, he’d ultimately worked to be a protector of the world.

Sonic geared up for another attack. He hadn’t quite been lying to Shadow when he said he’d found a burst energy. It was a rather unique skill of the hedgehog to manage to find _something_ even when he was running on empty. But, he was well and truly exhausted, and Shadow’s strength might last longer than his speed would.

But to his surprise, Shadow abruptly straightened, fight stance dropping with little grace.

“Fine.” He called out. “A tie.”

Sonic breathed a huff of relief, falling back on the ground. The cool earth cradled him perfectly and he shut his eyes against the bright blaze of the sun, breathing heavily. 

_Oh thank Chaos._

Heavy footsteps approached him, before a loud thump sounded next to him. Sonic cracked one eye open to see Shadow sitting not too far away, leaning against one of the oak trees that had managed to survive their brutal medley.

Silence stretched for a moment, filled only by tired panting that tapered off into more evened breathing. Shadow surprised him yet again by breaking the silence first.

“What the hell were you doing running out so far?”

Ah. 

“Oh. Just in the area.” He waved a dirtied glove loftily. “Y’know how it is. Couldn’t sleep.” He’s replied to with a snort, then silence.

Shadow sighed. “I do.” 

With the blood still pounding through his ears and the return of the forest sounds, Sonic nearly missed it.

“What about you,” Sonic grunted while flopping over so he could sit up and meet the black hedgehog’s gaze. “Why’d you wanna spar?” A blue brow raised in confusion as Shadow suddenly closed off again. “Hey c’mon man, I’m just trying to help.”

For a moment, Sonic thinks Shadow’s about to leave, or yell at him again. Anger darkened his expression like a cloud, but as quick as it arrived it seemed to dissipate.

“Rouge got hurt. Very badly. I managed to stabilize her before I left but,” he looked away, seeming ashamed. “I just needed to move.”

“Wait. Rouge got hurt? I mean, I saw her on her way to her apartment but I-”

“ _What?”_ Shadow whipped around, eyes wide. “What did you say?”

Sonic blinked, the change in atmosphere left him reeling for purchase. “Uh, I saw Rouge on her way home last night? She looked really tired so I offered to walk her home. Then I-”

“You left her like that and didn’t think to do anything else?” Shadow was on his feet, stalking towards Sonic with a predatory glide that Sonic found his eyes catching on instead of the furious red eyes boring into him. 

“Well, yeah?!” He protested. Shadow was now fully in his face, having to bend over to lean in. “Was I supposed to follow her home or what?!”

“You weren’t supposed to just _leave_ her like that!” He hissed. Sonic could see some hurt and disappointment roiling beneath the anger. But it was gone so quickly he couldn’t be sure.

The blue hedgehog hopped to his feet, meeting the angry glare head on. “Watch it! She’s a grown woman, Shadow,” he snapped, “and she certainly doesn’t need me holding her hand up to her apartment.”

The Ultimate Lifeform’s face slackened in surprise as it clicked. Sonic did not _know._ And it made sense now. Shadow’s senses were much keener than the average mobian. Sonic’s might just be on par, but with the jacket and the scents of the city it was likely he never noticed that the metallic smell might be blood. Rouge was an exceptional actor to boot. If she didn’t wish for him to know then he wouldn’t have figured it out.

Realizing that he and Sonic are basically breathing the same air, neither refusing to budge until then, Shadow takes a pointed step back. Sonic is still looking at him warily and Shadow heaves a sigh. Right.

“I. I’m sorry I thought-” Sonic's gawking cut him off.

“You’re _sorry?”_

“Faker, shut _up_.” Sonic’s jaw clicks shut. Shadow continued. “Rouge came home very hurt. She must have had the wound when she saw you and decided to keep it hidden.” Whatever anger he was holding onto dissipated at the horrified, wide-eyed look that spread across the hero’s face.

“I- Shadow if I’d have known I swear-”

“I know.” Shadow interrupted, sounding weary. And he did know. After years of working alongside the hero he knew that he’d never knowingly leave a friend, or enemy even, with a gaping wound in their back.”I apologize for insinuating…” he waved his hand, unsure of how to phrase it exactly, “that.” He finished lamely.

A bright laugh cut him out of his darkening thoughts.

“No worries. If I were in your shoes I’d be pretty pissed if I thought someone saw a hurt friend of mine and didn’t help.” Sonic bit his lip suddenly. “Is she okay though? You said she stabilized but, is she alright?”

“She’s fine, yes. It was a long night, but everything was cared for and she’s resting as we speak.”

A sigh of relief escaped the hero, Shadow noted that it must have weighed heavily despite how briefly he’d known about it.”

“That’s good,” he agreed. 

In a swift movement, he extended a fist to Shadow. “That was a great match though, you were really into it.”

Shadow meets the fist with his own, internally wincing as he remembered how hot his anger had burned, how poorly controlled it’d felt. 

“Yes, I… I may have gotten carried away.” The words were subdued. He hadn’t quite meant to say them but the uncomfortable weight of guilt had been gathering in his gut once more. To his surprise, Sonic brushed it off easily.

“Not at all, you asked and I agreed. Besides, I can’t lie and say I wasn’t looking to blow off some steam too,” he chuckled, wiping some dirt off his face but only succeeding in spreading it around.

“Well it’s unfortunate you ended up being my punching bag this time around.” 

“Ouch!” Sonic protested, but he was enjoying this new form of banter. It was less weighted and Shadow’s expression wasn’t quite a smile but it wasn’t a scowl. That was a win in his book.

It was still bright, the sun at its peak and blazing down mercilessly on the hedgehog-made clearing the two in question were still in.

Despite the fatigue weighing down his limbs, Shadow felt surprisingly light. His muscles burned and his chaos reserves were low thanks to his abundant use of chaos attacks without an emerald, but it was the weariness of having sprinted to the limit of his stamina. Not a void caused by despair in a battle or even chaos-sucking rocks.

“You ready to head back? Normally, I’d be down for another race, but considering how far out we are…” At this, Sonic reached into his quills and pulled out a shimmering chaos emerald. 

A pause. Then.

“You had that the whole time?!” Crimson eyes widened incredulously.

“Uh, yes? I was actually out to get it before I ran into you-”

“Why on Mobius didn’t you use it then?!” If the hedgehog had been holding back on him Shadow thought he might very well have an aneurysm.

“Eh, chaos attacks aren’t really my style.” Sonic replied, and it wasn’t even said in a boastful or condescending way, it was simply a fact. “Oh!” The exclamation was punctuated by the fist with the emerald coming down over an open palm. “I could have given it to you at the beginning, would have really made things interesting.”

Shadow blinked at the earnestness in Sonic’s tone, then snorted.

“Faker I would have wiped the floor with you.”

Sonic replied with an amused roll of his eyes before tossing towards Shadow.

“You got enough juice to get us home?”

Shadow felt the cool exterior of the emerald, drawing in deeply from the near-infinite expanse of chaos that was hidden within it. 

He smirked, feeling the aches and bruises fade away as his body began the process of mending with the excess chaos energy.

“I do now.”

Sonic jogged up the short wooden steps to the area of the building that was Tail’s workshop. The once ramshackle wooden warehouse that had served as their crash site in between saving the world had seen several improvements over the recent years.

Tails still had his research lab in Mystic Ruins, but this workshop felt more like home than anywhere Sonic had been in the world. The reinforced workshop gave way to darker bricks that made up the majority of their living space. It was modest, enough room for Sonic and Tails to rest without commotion. The accumulation of objects from new inventions, gifts, or trinkets they’d picked up around the world were carefully arranged in their area in one corner of Tails’ large workshop and even some in the living area, giving it a lived in, if a bit messy, feel.

“Tails! I brought food!” Knowing his younger brother, the fox had likely panicked a little at realizing Sonic hadn’t returned from his late night run. And food was the easiest way to appeal to angry fox teens.

A disheveled head poked out from a mass of guts in the center of the lab, blue eyes narrowed sternly.

“It’s 2 in the afternoon Sonic.” The blue hedgehog winced. He waved the bag of food weakly once more, valiantly trying to distract.

“Its burgers!” But the cheerful words died as Tails glare only intensified. Sonic quietly thought that he might prefer to go another round with Shadow than face the ire of the fox teen.

“Sonic we talked about this.” He sighed finally, dragging a hand down his face. Chaos. Had he stayed up the whole night? “It was approaching the 12 hour mark without a single ping, I was about to-”

“Yes, yes, okay I’m sorry.” Sonic dropped his hands, smile dropping off his face entirely now. The system they had in place wasn’t always convenient but it had served them well considering the events that usually governed their lives. And it usually gave Tails a sense of security and peace of mind. Part of Sonic rebelled at having to ‘check in’ with anyone, but his little brother wasn’t just anyone. And it had saved their bacon on more than one occasion. “I got held up, ran out really far and then had a fight with Shadow-”

“Shadow? I thought you two weren’t at each other’s throats anymore.” Tails eyed the bag with more interest than before.

“We’re not.” Sonic tore open the bag, handing a couple burgers over to Tails, who took them happily. “He asked to spar.” 

At Tails surprised glance he nodded earnestly. “I know! It surprised me too.” The words were garbled through his mouthful of burger, earning a snort from the fox. “He seemed different.”

“Not too different if he fought you on sight.”

“No, no, he asked.” He ignored the suspicious stare. “ I don’t know, he just seems. Less...”

“Of a jerk?” Tails supplied helpfully. The blue hero shrugged, the words not quite fitting.

“I _guess._ He was really worried about Rouge.” 

“What happened to Rouge?”

Sonic recounted the night to Tails as best as he could while shoveling burgers in his mouth.

“You didn’t know.” Tails stated calmly around a mouthful of food once Sonic recounted got to the part about Rouge and Shadow’s anger.

“I should have.” But before Tails could even open his mouth to protest the blue hedgehog zipped around to look at the console with uncharacteristic interest.

“So anything new? I brought the emerald.” The fox pursed his lips but let it go.

“Yeah, a couple of spikes of energy.” He tossed the wrappers in the bag, moving towards the console. “I’ve no idea where they’re coming from yet, but with the emerald it should help.”

“Could it be Eggman?”

“I don’t think so. The readings are different. But I’ll find out more eventually.” Sonic ruffled his younger brother's bedhead. That gleam in his eye was all too familiar and reassuring.

“I know you will.”

“So the Commander asked you to keep quiet about this?”

“AFFIRMATIVE.”

“And you just told us.” At Rouge’s disapproving tone Omega’s eyes flashed a bit brighter, for a being with no facial muscles he seemed quite content with himself.

“YES.”

Rouge pinched the bridge of her nose. “Omega.”

“ROUGE.”

“Shadow!”

“What?” Shadow raised his head from his book, giving them both an annoyed look. “If you’re going to be making so much racket I’ll go read elsewhere.”

“THE COMMANDER DOES NOT OVERRIDE MY PROTOCOLS.” Omega stated, rather cheekily. Despite being under G.U.N.’s authority the robot’s autonomy was unquestioned.

“Are you not the least bit concerned?”

“About not following the Commander’s orders? Not really.” Rouge rolled her eyes. Despite their improved relationship, Shadow and the Commander still found plenty to disagree about. Still, despite being a stern man, the commander had made significant changes to the organization. It would probably carry out echoes of its brutal legacy for years to come but more effort was made to work in tandem with the Resistance.

“When did I become the responsible one?”

“When you accepted the promotion.” Shadow quipped without glancing, turning the page of his book. Rouge glared at him and contemplated throwing a cushion at him. But the bastard would probably dodge it. And her back was still healing. 

“The chaos entity.” She repeated. A single black ear twitched. The former thief stifled a smile. Bingo.

“Is that what it’s called now.”

“IT'S GOOD TO BE PREPARED FOR WORTHY ENEMIES."

“It’s not a worthy enemy, Omega.” Shadow drawled.

“RIGHT. NOT TO ME. MY SYSTEMS DON'T HEAVILY RELY ON CHAOS ENERGY.” Smugness radiated from the robot despite his monotone voice.

Shadow pointedly snapped his book shut, throwing the large robot a sharp glare. “It won’t catch me unaware again.” 

Following the unpleasant encounter, he’d made definite adjustments to his inhibitor rings. They weren’t initially easy to take off per se, but it had only taken pressure for the rocks to snap the clasp and release them. They weren’t entirely mindless, so the set he wore for missions were reinforced now. Not having encountered an enemy such as that before he hadn’t felt such a change necessary until now.

"Once they locate it, I'll put an end to its miserable existence." 

"Not alone you won't." Rouge placed her hands on her hips. 

"I don't need help." Shadow snapped, quills rising defensively again. He forced his fur to lay flat before looking back to his team mates. 

"It's not a matter of needing, hun." The bat purred. "I have a score to settle with that thing as well."

"YOU TWO MAY DEAL WITH IT'S REMAINS ONCE I AM FINISHED." The machine whirred it's guns. "ATTACKING TEAM MATES LOGS THE ENTITY UNDER 'REVENGE' CATEGORY. LOGS SUGGEST ENTITY MAY HAVE ORIGINATED FROM EGGMAN TECHNOLOGY." He paused, looking at his team mates pointedly. "SO I HAVE DIBS."

Shadow snorted, but didn't argue further. He moved back to his seat, picking up the book once more.

"Do what you want then."

He ignored Rouge's beaming smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to do updates every week/every other week. It seems I routinely underestimate how many words things will take so. Keep an eye on that chapter count.
> 
> Plot is developing! Eh, ish?
> 
> Please let me know what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic and Shadow find themselves spending more time together.

Sometimes, on his late night runs, when memories haunted and chased him beyond the safe walls of his room, Shadow could almost make out a blue blur zipping through dark hills and trees before disappearing in a blink. 

Mostly, he avoided him, the unspoken agreement lying between the two hedgehogs that these nights were best dealt alone.

Until, at one point, they weren’t.

Whenever Sonic pulled up even, eyes hard and dim, Shadow said nothing. They ran in perfect silence. That look in his eye was the same one he’d see in the hallway mirror every time he left the club in the wee hours of the night. No words needed to be said. Eventually, one of them would peel off the trail, and the other would not follow. 

Tonight, Shadow ran alone. The blue blur absent from his usual route.

There was a cliff, nestled behind trees, chaos knew how many miles from the club that he’d stumbled across (over, in reality). It was hard to find new spots within a night’s running distance and this was one of his favorites. It’d only been about a half hour that he’d been sitting at the cliff's edge, admiring the dark scenery, until a brief gust of wind told him he was no longer alone.

“There’s my favorite running partner.” Though quiet, the words carried the same lilting cheeriness. Shadow glanced at him briefly. No hardness in jade eyes it seemed, they carried something different tonight. Old and worn.

Years ago, when they had been a little younger, edges a little more jagged, racing had been a nearly instinctual response between the two. The Ultimate Lifeform had possessed a single minded intent to fulfill his purpose in the best way he knew how. Often, that included physical feats to prove his superiority, races, fights… even when not pitted against Sonic. It was an annoying quirk of the blue hero to influence people and places even when not physically there. The fact that Shadow’s nightly runs had recently begun to have an effect on his self control. Anger and annoyance flared up as much as ever but control was easier to come by.

But while Sonic seemed to have hardly changed in their day to day interactions, Shadow had become more receptive. Rouge called it a backlash from his ‘I’m the coolest and taking over the world’ phase. He could never tell her how close to the truth that was, she’d laugh him into his grave.

“Talking’s against the rules.” A soft snort sounded behind him.

“Who made the rules?”

“I did.”

“Sounds unfair.” Sonic's words upturned along with his smile.

“Take it up with someone who cares.”

“No talking on _runs_. That’s the rule.”

“Chaos, faker _shut up_.” The words, common as they were, lacked any real heat. Shadow didn’t move as quiet steps approached, rustling grass indicated the other’s presence. Quills bristling at the sudden closeness, he resisted the rising urge to snap at the blue hero again. 

This was uncharted territory. For weeks now, their runs had been a consistent routine, a comfort even. Running at speeds that few life forms could hope to match, sometimes trying to outpace the other, mostly just running to escape. Shadow would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy them, that he didn’t find them cathartic and, once the shadows had been outpaced, even exhilarating.

Sonic sat beside him for what could have been only an hour but felt like a lifetime. The night air swirled gently around them, the delicate scent of morning dew filling the air, adding a thickness to the inky darkness that surrounded them. 

To his credit, Sonic remained silent for the remainder of their time, watching the rustling trees below, keen eyes able to make out dark shapes of nocturnal forest life. Shadow, on the other hand, snuck glances to the hedgehog beside him, bemused by this new side. For years, Shadow had lived with a specific, one dimensional view of the hero for many years, one he’d kept partly out of ignorance and convenience. 

When the first strokes of sunlight began to paint the sky, Shadow rose to his feet, slowly and reluctantly. He paused, waiting for emerald eyes to turn and face him, before nodding his farewell. Sonic only smiled, a soft and subdued thing, still lost in whatever thoughts had pushed him out of bed. 

Shadow turned and sped away, before the fluttering in his chest could turn into a jackhammer staccato, taking the shortest path back home. Once he was back in the cool, soothing darkness of the apartment he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the hallway mirror. Shadow rubbed at his face, hoping in vain to smooth out the sharp edges that always seemed to surround him.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed, Rouge.” Shadow said irritably. He’d entered the common living area to prepare some lunch, only to find the bat struggling to put on a jacket. Keen, red eyes spotted the outfit she was trying to hide beneath the jacket. “Oh no. Absolutely _not.”_ With as much firmness as he could allow himself, he slid the jacket off her shoulders, tossing it towards the living room.

“You are most certainly not going to brunch when your back was flayed open only _last week._ ”

Any other day, Shadow might have cared less about the way Rouge handled her personal affairs. But, just two days ago he’d changed out those bandages, revealing wounds that were healing decently, but still red and swollen. It was impractical, above all else.

“Honestly, Shadow.” Rouge grumbled, once the black hedgehog had forced her into clothes she wouldn’t be caught _dead_ wearing in public, sly bastard, “if I’d have known you’d be this much of a mother hen I would have recommended the convent- mmph!” A pillow smacked her face lightly, the culprit smirking at her scandalized expression.

“Apologies, my hand slipped,” he said sincerely, betrayed by the smug looking quirk of his lips. Rouge harrumphed, holding the pillow to her stomach.

“Then what am I supposed to do all day?” she wailed, looking down at the hideous t-shirt,

“Not my problem.”

“You’ve confined me!”

“For your own good, I don’t care what you do in your free time but being reckless will only hinder Team Dark.” Shadow pointed out, putting the finishing touches on his sandwich. He neatly dodged the pillow that was lobbed at him, turning to give Rouge a flat stare.

“Really?”

“In that case, watch a movie with me. We can order in and get trashed watching your favorite,” she smiled knowingly. But Shadow would not give her the satisfaction of reacting.

“Pick another day to torture me with your film choices.”

“You don’t have to pretend in front of me, sunshine,” she crooned, the grin on her face was truly terrifying now. Shadow swallowed.

“You said you wouldn’t bring it up.” He had aimed for a stern accusation but landed somewhere between nervous and tense. Rouge laughed, and that was really enough torture for now. The dark hedgehog had begun to spend a couple of evenings together, venturing out of his room and allowing himself to be cajoled onto the couch. It was rare, but treasured nonetheless.

“I won’t.” she promised. Another fit of laughter threatened to bubble up at his suspicious stare, but eventually he shrugged. It took less and less to persuade him nowadays.

“You’re paying. And I’m ordering extra rolls.”

“Deal.”

Rouge was a terrible movie companion. Before the movie had even begun she’d demanded he bring her every pillow and blanket that was available in the apartment (“grab the one from Omega’s room too- yes, he thinks I don’t know about it.”) and once they had settled in for the first movie, had swathed him in said blankets and pillows as best she could.

Scowling, Shadow only tolerated the treatment because shoving it off would jostle her too much. In truth, he’d become very comfortable in Rouge’s presence. Not that he’d ever felt uncomfortable before, but this time it settled into something familiar and old.

They weren’t more than thirty minutes into the first movie, Rouge already engrossed, when a crisp, quick knock came at the door.

“Are you expecting company?” Shadow asked, shucking off the many blankets to get up. Rouge shook her head, reluctantly pausing the movie.

“I texted my brunch date earlier, so no.”

Another insistent knock came at the door. Scowling once more, Shadow yanked the door open, mouth open to deliver an absolutely devastating piece of his mind to the poor soul who decided to disturb one of his very few days off. His jaw shut with a click as he found an equally startled looking Sonic the Hedgehog, hand poised to knock once more. The hero recovered quickly, expression brightening into a wide smile.

“Shads! Hey, sorry to bother you, I wasn’t sure you were going to be home and I was just in the neighborhood when I realized ‘Oh this is Club Rouge’, y’know, and I wasn’t sure if you lived here but I guess I figured? Anyway I thought ‘Club Rouge! Rouge is here’-” Chaos, he was babbling up a storm. The undercurrent of uncertainty and nerves was so unfamiliar and rare, Shadow very nearly didn’t notice it at first.

“What do you want?” He interrupted, not unkindly, leaning against the doorway. Sonic cut off, eyes lingering on him oddly before shaking off whatever thoughts he had.

“I came to see Rouge,” he admitted. Shadow remembered their conversation of only a handful of days ago, it already felt like it’d been much longer. But the blue hedgehog had truly seemed pained at knowing someone had been hurt and he’d done nothing for it back then. Shadow breathed through his nose slowly; it seemed like Sonic was still full of surprises. “I would have come earlier,” Sonic continued, “but some missions came up. Is she here?” 

That explained his absence the past couple nights.

Before Shadow could reply, Rouge’s voice sang over the threshold. “Come on in, Big Blue!” The black hedgehog rolled his eyes, cursing the bat’s keen hearing, before stepping aside to let Sonic enter.

“Well to what do I owe this distinct pleasure?” The bat purred, waving a hand languidly from her comfortable location on the couch, blankets and pillows pooling around her.

“Well,” Sonic started, suddenly looking very nervous, “Shads kinda told me what happened a couple nights ago and I wanted to apologize and check in on how you’re doing.”

Rouge’s mouth turned into a little ‘o’ of surprise. The fact that Shadow had opened up to anyone… and Sonic of all people? She blinked, slipping into an easy smile. “Well that’s awfully kind of you Blue, but I can assure you I’m perfectly fine now. Dark and handsome over there has some steady hands.”

Shadow snorted, moving to lean against the island stiffly.

“I’m glad.” Sonic beamed now, so bright and relieved it soothed the perma-scowl on Shadow’s face. “In that case, if you need anything just let me know. Really.”

“Well,” Rouge’s face got pensive and the Ultimate Lifeform regrettably recognized it as the face she made when she was scheming. “You have your birthday party coming up in a couple of weeks, right?”

“Yeah,” Sonic shrugged. “Tails is handling the details though.”

“Just invite us then and we’ll call it even.”

“Wha- but you’re already invited!”  
  
“We are?” Shadow blurted out. Sure he’d attended some of Sonic’s past events, but it’d been more of a drop in than anything. Polite well wishes before he was on his way, the loud atmosphere at times overwhelming.

“Duh.” The hero looked at him like he was a couple bushels short of a full basket. “I invite all my friends.”

Shadow only frowned, resisting the old habit to remind Sonic that they weren’t friends. He supposed they might be… by now. They weren’t enemies anymore, and had gone a bit past initial tentative allies. As much as the word discomforted him… it was the best fit, he supposed.

Rouge asked Sonic some inane detail about the party, the answer registering vaguely in Shadow’s mind as he tuned the boring details out.

Sonic had mentioned he had been away on a mission the past couple of days, and even though they'd only met up for their nightly runs for hardly a week now Shadow realized that he had missed the silent company. 

_The silence is probably the most appealing part of it_ , he told himself. But the blue mobian could be good company, despite his motor mouth. 

But when Sonic sat himself down on what had been _his_ spot, Shadow immediately revoked all thoughts of the hero being good company, all the while groaning internally in a steady crescendo. Tied by convention, Shadow huffed and went to the other couch to retrieve his book, determined to find at least some enjoyment in his now derailed day

Sonic may have not been completely truthful when he’d told Shadow he hadn’t expected to find him here. In truth, the hero had absolutely known Shadow was now living there. However his intention on seeing Rouge was the truth. Before zipping off to a chaos emerald emergency (that had turned out to be a total bust) Sonic had had every intention of visiting the bat to see if there was anything he could do to help- a proposition that could sometimes turn sticky if the bat saw it as an owed favor. 

But when the black hedgehog opened the door, leaning against the door frame with an understated grace Sonic had always admired, his mouth had gone a little dry and he’d been acutely reminded why he’d decided to wait until Shadow was home as well.

They’d spent more time together, mainly on those nightly runs. 

It’d been unintentional, running with Shadow. Sonic’s nightly runs were one the few moments of solitary peace the hero could find. During the day there were responsibilities, friends and missions to tend to, there was always a job to do. But at night he could shed it all and try to parse through fragmented memories and emotions, put himself together enough to keep going the next day. 

Running with Shadow was… good. The hedgehog didn’t ask questions, and even on Sonic’s better nights, he seemed to understand the turmoil laying beneath. Sonic wanted to extend his gratitude to him too in the best way he knew how and in a way that Shadow might not outright reject or scorn; by being a better friend.

When Rouge had insisted on the favor being an invite to his part of all things, Sonic was a little confused. He’d thought Team Dark was like Knuckles, Amy and the rest; close enough to understand that they were always welcome, regardless of invitation.

Shadow’s surprised question had been more shocking. Sonic inwardly frowned, making a mental note to do better in the future.

“So you said some missions came up, hm?” she purred, eyes alight with curiosity. “You wouldn’t have come across any special gems?” Sonic chuckled, shaking his head.

“It was a dead end, if I’m being honest. I don’t know if Tails’ sensors are malfunctioning or what but he’s been getting some pretty crazy chaos readings from random areas.”

It was as if he’d flipped a switch. Rouge’s warm gaze had turned calculating, her shoulders tensing. Humming in response she nodded, looking away. Sonic followed her gaze to see Shadow, leaning back on the cream colored couch, a book in hand. The blue and yellow cover of the binding seemed oddly familiar…

“Is that _Among the Stars?_ ” Shadow didn’t initially register his question, blinking up from his book surprisedly before turning to Sonic. 

“Yes…” He answered slowly. Finger in between the pages he closed it reluctantly. 

“Oh neat!” Sonic all but chaos controlled to the sofa where Shadow had taken up residence, leaning over the backing to get a closer look at the cover. “That’s the book that Chao in Space was based off of!” Shadow seemed a bit surprised, which was probably the only thing that saved him from having his head bitten off.

Grinning smugly, Sonic leaned back so Shadow couldn’t see his expression. “If you like that book, I really recommend _Nautilus Shapings_ by the same author. It’s a bit more fantastical but the story is amazing!” The black hedgehog leaned back now to better look at him, seemingly stuck between interest and a scathing remark.

“Noted.” He chose a nod instead. Must have been an odd choice as Sonic looked puzzled for a brief moment before absolutely beaming. Leaning over, Shadow scribbled something in the scrap paper being used as a bookmark. Sonic caught sight of a list of what appeared to be other titles.

“Whazzat?” He squinted at the list, unable to catch any clear names.. “You got any book recs?” 

“I doubt you’ll find any of these palatable.” Shadow said stiffly.

“Try me.”

Shadow paused, as if sizing him up, then nodded. “Very well. _The Running Man_ , by the Maned Fox brothers. I found it very… interesting” Sonic resisted a groan. A _running_ book? 

“If you say so…” he muttered, making a mental note of it nonetheless.Across the room, Rouge watched them, eyes bright and alert, taking in Shadow’s relaxing posture and Sonic’s body language. She hummed thoughtfully, not saying a word.

Sonic excused himself, not too long after the exchange. Rouge bid him goodbye merrily, while Shadow only huffed. Once gone, she started the movie up again, knowing her grumpy house mate might try to slip away at the first opportunity given.

Less annoyed than he let on, Shadow settled into the cocoon at the foot of the couch, allowing the bright shapes on the screen, blue ones standing out magnificently, whisk his mind away.

Racing back to his own place, Sonic was none too surprised to find a red echidna lounging on his couch, munching on a bag the hero instantly recognized.

He grinned in greeting. “Yo Knux.”

“Hey Sonic,” Knuckles greeted from the couch, waving a stained glove in the air, “you’re out of chips.” Sonic hummed as if in contemplation, closing the door behind him.

“Those were Tails’.” Knuckles froze, looking at the empty bag in horror, violet eyes snapping to Sonic who was far too amused to attempt reassurance.

“ _Shit.”_ In a flurry of movement the echidna darted up, stuffing the empty bag of chips in between the sofa cushions. Sonic cackled watching the echidna try in vain to shove it in the cracks before finally wheezing out.

“They!” he gasped, “Don’t have cushions!” At that moment a light voice called from the kitchen.

“Hey Sonic!” Knuckles froze, eyes wide in terror as Tails voice cut through his panicked movements. “Have you seen my bag of chips?”

Sonic chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye while watching his frozen friend, the steps of his little brother tapping nearer. “You better eat that bag, Knux.”

Shooting him a venomous glare, Knuckles shoved the bag in his mouth. 

Friday’s were movie night.

With the rush and commotion that came from fighting an evil genius and taking the forefront in most of their lives, they’d decided long ago to make Friday’s movie night. 

Not every Friday was possible.The group of friends had grown over the years and sometimes things came up; attacks on the world, evening plans, far away adventures. Nonetheless, they resolved to keep Friday’s as a movie night, settling down, wherever they might be in the world to watch a movie with friends.

Tonight was a smaller affair. Knuckles was able to spare the evening for once, with Amy, Cream, Silver, Blaze, and of course, Tails settling in around the living room.

Amy had asked to host, excited to be able to show her first proper apartment to her friends. 

The resistance had operated as the home to many of its members. Living in cramped barracks hardly seemed like an issue when the world was at war. 

Through the rebuilding efforts, however, many humans and mobians alike were able to have a space of their own for the first time in years.

The pink hedgehog had also grown into her new position over the past couple of years, successfully running her own branch of the resistance when times had been at their darkest. Having to lead her own team had strengthened an already steely resolve and Sonic admired her strength both as a friend and a fighter.

It helped that the terrifyingly intense puppy crush had fizzled out (leading to Amy feeling a _lot_ of old embarrassment every time she was reminded of it). 

Sonic glanced at her now, strong poise now relaxed and open around her friends, and couldn’t resist the smile at the sight. He loved her, he really did, but in the way he loved all of his friends. Deeply and unconditionally. 

In the past, he had often wished he could return her feelings, if only to simply fulfill what a lot of people thought was ‘the right fit’, to make her happy. 

But now? It seemed like such a ridiculous thought. Keeping such a good friend constantly at an arm’s distance had been draining, the hero was thankful that such pretenses had fallen away between them.

Sonic basked in the buzz of conversation, not really joining one until he caught sight of his brother across the room.

“Oh! Tails! I need your help.” Jogging over, Sonic pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his head quills. He’d written the title down the first chance he’d had after leaving Rouge’s. “I wanna find this book.”

Tails peered at the paper before giving the blue hedgehog a dubious look.

“Really.”

“Yeah!”

“This book.” He lifted the paper.

“Yeah…” Sonic shuffled his feet, suddenly nervous. Had Shadow given him a joke book? “Shadow said it was about running?”

“ _Shadow_ recommended it?” Tails brows were climbing towards his ears now.

“Okay is it a weird book? Just tell me that.”

Tails chuckled, folding the paper. “It’s not. It’s just an odd book. It _is_ about running, but not in the way you think. I think Vanilla had a copy.” The fox handed the paper back. “You should ask Cream before she leaves tonight.”

“Sweet! Will do, thanks bud.” Sonic reached forward to give the fox’s fringe a brief noogie, amused when he ducked away. He was getting faster.

“How come you don’t invite Shadow, Rouge and Omega to movie night then? You seem like you two are getting closer. And I thought you liked Rouge.”

“I do! And I did!”

“You invited them to movie night?” If Tails’ voice got any flatter, it’d go 2D.

“Well, I invited them to the party next Saturday,”

“Sonic they were already invited.”

“You invited Team Dark?” Knuckles piped up, swaggering over to lean an arm on the fox teen much to his dismay. Tails reached up to adjust his mussed tufts of hair.

“They already had an invite, Knuckles.” Tails groaned trying to remove the offending weight to no avail. It seemed like the echidna only grew stronger each year, working deep red earth over the ends of his spines in a fashion that his people wore as adults.

“Good. I’m looking forward to going a couple rounds with Shadow. It’s been too long since I showed him up.” Knuckles grinned, hands curling into fists in anticipation. Sonic grinned in response, shaking his head towards his friend.

“Sure, if he agrees you can take it outside. But you might be surprised, Knux. Shads has gotten a lot better.”

“I’ve kicked his ass before.” The echidna waved a gloved hand dismissively.

“Yeah, and he kicked Sonic’s butt like a week ago.” Tails added helpfully, a beatific smile crossing his face at his brother’s indignant spluttering.

“It was a _tie.”_ But oh, that was enough for Knuckles, his friendly grin turned mischievous.

“If you had to offer a tie, you lost.” He snickered. 

It wasn’t true, and he knew it, but it was far too fun to watch the blue hedgehog get bent out of shape over it. It wasn’t something he announced outloud or broadcasted but Sonic _hated_ losing, it riled his already short temper up faster.

“It does _not!”_

Knuckles and Tails howled with laughter, their friend’s face flushed red.

The short break, courtesy of Rouge’s back wound healing up (she had already begun flying short distances, but had insisted on wringing out the benefits while they could), was a welcome one. Despite his attempts to be more tolerant of the stupidity surrounding him it’d been tough to rein his tongue in during the most recent missions. 

The search for the chaos entity had born little results, but if Shadow had to explain basic chaos energy concepts _one more time_ to his idiotic squad he might very well go after it alone. The black hedgehog paused for a moment. That actually wasn’t a terrible-

“Mind explaining what the hell was that?” Rouge’s irritable tone broke through his thoughts. Shadow peered up at her over the book he was trying to read, he had finally gotten to the recommendation the blue hedgehog had given him a couple of days ago.”

“Good evening to you too.”

“Leine told higher ups he was nearly left behind by your detail.”

“I suppose he should move faster next time then.” In truth, Shadow had had no intention of abandoning Corporal Leine. The human was a hindrance but filling out the paperwork for a return convey wasn’t worth teaching the human a lesson in punctuality. But seeing the distress as he tried to catch up to the convoy _had_ been very entertaining.

“Well, he is annoying. Out of all the soldiers to abandon, not a bad choice, love.” She winked at him, “though please do try to be discreet next time. You possess all the subtlety of a bomb.”

“I do aim to please.” With a roll of her eyes Rouge turned to rummage through the kitchen and Shadow let himself get lost in the story. It was some old fiction and despite the trite plot he found it strangely compelling. He could understand Sonic’s attraction to it. The tail end of a question snapped him out of the story.

“What?” Shadow quirked a dark brow at her, annoyed.

“I said we’re low on a couple things. Could you be a dear and add them to your errands list?” She batted her eyes towards him.

“Why don’t you go get it?” he exhaled irritably. “It’s your day off too.”

“Yes but my back aches _so much_ today…. But,” she added with a sigh, “I suppose I _could_ carry the groceries back. If I wear something dark the blood shouldn’t be too visible.” Her tone turned pensive now, Shadow not able to see the wicked gleam in her eyes from his place.

“Chaos above _fine.”_ He groaned, snapping his book shut. “I think next time I’ll leave you to bleed out on the doorstep.” He grumbled, but there was no real heat to his threat.

Grinning victoriously, Rouge handed him a slip of paper with a long list already written out. Shadow blinked.

“You!” He spluttered for a moment, “You had this ready!”

“Don’t forget the chocolate covered almonds!” she called out sweetly, already making her way to her bedroom. Scowling viciously, Shadow snatched up the canvas bag they often used for groceries, slamming the door shut on his way out.

Shadow couldn’t accurately remember when the anger had stopped being such an overwhelming issue. It was still present, the past couple of months not nearly enough to wipe it out, and a part of him doubted it could ever truly be wiped out, but he wasn’t reigned by it.

The black hedgehog frowned at the paper he held in his hand, realizing he could have very easily refused Rouge’s request month’s ago. 

The thought. Didn’t sit well.

He shook his head minutely, remembering his new resolution. Trying was difficult. But rewarding thus far.

His annoyance as Rouge’s scheming barely held a candle to past outbursts, and for once he could find that he appreciated the change.

The evening air was cool, the earlier warmth of the day tempered by the soothing shadows cast by the lowering sun. Shadow breathed in deep, heading towards the market he knew Rouge preferred at a more sedate pace than normal.

It wasn’t a long walk, the small market set up in a district that neighbored the one Club Rouge sat in.

The stalls were still up, the sun only just beginning to turn towards the west. He went through the list efficiently: eggs, fruit, a bottle of white that he was definitely keeping, and some other cooking ingredients she’d listed, before turning towards his favorite stall.

“Good evening, Mr. Shadow!” The older woman that tended to the stall from the greenery greeted him warmly, pleased when he returned a nod. “Will you be purchasing another plant?”

“Shadow is fine, and no I’m simply browsing today,” he told her, a tad disappointed himself. As much as he’d like another purchase, he simply didn’t have the hands to carry it along with his bags of groceries.

While he considered the array of plants, his mind began to wander, eyes gliding over the plants with only cursory interest now.

It was a combination of things. The sound of a girls bright laughter chiming over the noise of the market, the flash of yellow lights of a passing car, and the bright blue of a pot that reminded him so much of-

A hand clapped down on his shoulder. Entire body tensing violently, Shadow grit his teeth, controlling his first impulse to release a chaos blast that would shove away the idiot who had carelessly grabbed him.

“Heya Shads.”

Great.

Wrenching his shoulder free, Shadow turned to face the Sonic, his body rigid with tension. The blue hedgehog was the opposite, completely open and relaxed, and either oblivious or uncaring towards the other’s discomfort.

Shadow scowled. “What do you want, faker?” 

Sonic blinked, wide and innocent.

“I can’t say hi to a friend when I see him at the market now?”

“Not when you sneak up on them, no.” Shadow retorted, the earlier tension already ebbing slowly as he grounded himself in the senses of the present. The fresh taste of the air, the sweet, earthy scent rolling off of Sonic, and the coolness of his bags in his arms.

“So what you up to?”

“I was enjoying my day off, until now.” Shadow replied flatly, turning his attention back to the stall. Sonic laughed as if he’d told an only slightly funny joke.

“Oh that sounds nice…” The blue hedgehog’s tone sounded…. Nervous?

Shadow was slightly curious at this new development, it wasn’t like the hero to feel nervous around anyone. Least of all Shadow. 

The black hedgehog chose to ignore it however, staring instead at the row of plants of the stall in front of him, occasionally reaching out to gently examine a leaf.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sonic lean down to examine one as well, most likely trying to see what all the hype was about. 

“So I got to reading that recommendation of yours.” Sonic said idly, removing a glove to better feel the texture of the leaf beneath his finger pads.

“You did?” A surprising tingle of satisfaction flushed in his mind, knowing that the other had actually read the book which he’d thrown out half-heartedly at the time. He automatically tamped it down before the emotion could physically manifest.

Sonic glanced at him briefly before returning to the plant.“Yeah! At first I thought it was super depressing, but on the second read I got what you saw in it. Despite the main character’s metamorphosis there was a lot of hope that kept him from breaking down before the end.” 

“You read it _twice?_ ” 

Sonic laughed at Shadow’s incredulous look. “Yeah I know I don’t look the type, and I'm not really an intellectual, I just wanted to know what drew you in. Besides, everyone enjoys a good story.”

It was Shadow’s turn to look embarrassed now and he glanced away. “That’s not what I meant-”

“Nah, it’s okay.” The blue hero shrugged, tugging on his glove. “I know what I’m good at.” He tossed the dark hedgehog a reassuring grin. Shadow’s frown eased slightly.

“Well, I suppose if you’re going to impose on my day I might as well hear your drivel.” There was no heat in his words, and he saw the other took his meager olive branch at the hero’s brightening smile.

“Drivel, eh? You sure we talking about my thoughts or your book recommendations?”

“How _dare_ -”

“Easy Shads,” Sonic chuckled, satisfied at having gotten a rise from the dark hedgehog. “I did have some questions though, the main character made some…. Interesting choices.”

Intrigued again, Shadow felt his anger blow out like a candle in the wind. Despite his increased control recently, it seemed like Sonic was still uniquely skilled at both riling up and soothing his temper..

“Very well,” he huffed, “but you carry half the groceries.”

“Hey!” Sonic spluttered as two bags were expertly dumped into his arms.

“And before you complain, it’s for Rouge.”

The hero shot him a baleful glare before adjusting the bags in his arms. “Fine. I’m counting this as her favor, though.”

Time flew. And Shadow hardly noticed it, blinking in realization that his eyes had adjusted to the dark in the middle of a heated explanation that _No_ , the Running Man wasn’t about fear but about the promise of change. Shadow leaned back, realizing how close he’d been sitting to Sonic. Closer than he ever had before when they weren’t fighting.

“Oh wow, I guess it’s gotten late.” Sonic looked baffled as well, twisting around to see they were nearly the only ones left in the plaza, the lights having maintained the illusion of time.

“I should go.” Shadow said, rising to his feet. He’d gotten some shopping throughout their conversation but after a point they had gravitated to the bench, the hero’s insane theories too infuriating to let go with a simple eye roll.

“Cool, back to Club Rouge then?” Sonic shifted the groceries in his hands pointedly, rising as well. But Shadow could feel the stress of the day begin to settle over him, like an old blanket. The sounds, smells, and even crackling of the paper bags in his arms already too loud and grating against his hyper specialized senses.

“That’s not necessary. I can take them back.”

“No way Shads, this is my favor to Rouge remember?” A hand reached out to clap his shoulder once more. The Ultimate Lifeform resisted the urge to flinch.

“Just leave them, faker.” He ground out, feeling the anger well up again.

“And let you take all the credit?”  
  
Shadow saw the elbow jabbing towards him before it even touched him. It wouldn’t have hurt, he would have hardly felt it. But the mere thought of something else piling on the assault that had plagued his senses once the conversation had ended was _unbearable._

Shadow jerked away from the movement viciously, eyes wide and gaze barely focused. Sonic retracted his hand immediately, realizing something was wrong. Thinly veiled fear shone in red eyes and Shadow leveled him with a glare.

“Don’t. _Touch._ Me.” He ground out after moments of silence. And it was embarrassing. He’d been touched before, by friends and foes alike, could always get away before it got too bad.

But he hadn’t this time. He’d stayed. He’d wanted to stay.

Before Sonic could utter a word Shadow was gone. His command not even muttered as he chaos controlled out of the plaza, leaving the hero alone.

Sonic dropped the bag of groceries just inside the door to Rouge’s shared apartment with Shadow, not feeling up to braving those waters again just yet. His run back home was silent, not even the wind making so much as a rustle against the grassy plains.

He must have had some kind of weird face when he walked through the door, Tails immediately turning towards the hedgehog as he walked through the lab doors.

“You alright?"

“Hm? Oh yeah… just. A weird night?”

“Did Knuckles try telling a scary story again?” The fox snorted, twirling a screwdriver in deft fingers. Sonic scratched his quills, shaking his head.

“No, it was Shadow.”

The fox blinked. Shadow again?

“I ran into him at the market,” Sonic continued, oblivious, “and I was helping him with some groceries. I had some questions about the book he recommended and we actually had a decent talk! But then towards the end he got kinda… faraway? And looked really scared and mad when I touched him.”

“Oh. Is that it? He probably just didn’t want to be touched.” The tension eased from Tails shoulders, so it wasn’t anything terribly serious. He poked at the hose of the generator with his screwdriver.

“I don’t get it though,”

“You don’t like to be touched outside of battle,” Tails pointed out, not bothering to look up from the guts of the generator in front of him. He’d noticed, recently, that Shadow popped up more and more as the topic of a conversation. Sonic often noticing similarities or commenting on a new factoid he learned that pertained to the black hedgehog. It was weird, but their lives were full of weird, so Sonic actually befriending the quiet hedgehog wasn’t the worst thing to happen.

“ _Sometimes.”_ Sonic corrected, rubbing the back of his neck.

That fact was nearly a point of guilt for the hero. He kept it under wraps as tightly as he could, often speeding away or extricating himself from embraces that lasted a touch too long, but his little brother was perceptive and had been around him the longest. 

Crossing his arms, he drummed his fingers lightly on his arms, foot tapping quietly but rapidly as he thought back on the last time he may have been too obvious in his discomfort.

Tails glanced up to see his brother stuck in his head, recognizing the nervous tick.

“Wha- Sonic. It’s not a _bad_ thing,” he huffed out, exasperated.

Logically, Sonic knew It wasn’t. For so long, the majority of any physical interactions he had were in the form of battle. He wasn’t one to shy away from a punch, or even the closeness of friends, but after too long it’d set off alarm bells in his mind, as if his body was gearing itself up for a fight.

It filled him with a sense of failure. What sort of friend couldn’t accept the forms of love he was given? None save for Tails had made the connection, chalking up his flightiness to his personality. Which suited the hero just fine.

“Yeah, I know.” 

“If you feel like you overstepped, just apologize.” Tails stated. Truthfully, he had no idea how Shadow might react to an apology, but he knew his brother. The urge to ‘do the right thing’ wouldn’t leave him until he made amends somehow. 

Smile back on at full wattage, Sonic changed the course of their conversation. “Oh! Did I tell you about this new pizza place I found? It’s run by four turtle brothers and when I say the food is good _believe me Tails_ -“

Turning back to his generator Tails let his brother ramble on, willing to give him this out. He knew better than to try and ask him what was going on. The blue hero was likely t o find a ‘pressing situation’ as soon as he asked anyway. The fox knew he’d have better luck with a ‘wait and see’ approach.

Blue, black, and brief flashes of light streak past Shadow’s vision as he speeds out of Club Rouge the moment he couldn’t take it anymore.

He sent up a silent prayer to not see the bright blue blur tonight, unable to face the source of the strange feelings welling in his chest. The anxiety, shame, and _something_ that eluded his mind still.

The wind howled in his ears, accompanying the deafening pounding of blood as he pushed his body farther and faster than he normally would on a run. Shadow wanted to meld into the very horizon, until all the nameless things in his chest and mind disappeared into the vastness of the dark. 

The sharp edges felt jagged again tonight

Shadow wasn’t sure how long he ran, the even breaths turning to wheezing gasps at some point as he glided over empty plains. The night was deep and pitch black, not even the moon present to give a hint to the time.

Finally, he jogged to a stop on a rocky outcrop, leaning his weight on his knees to catch his breath.

The prickle of a familiar energy had his fur standing on end in an instant, the tension he thought he’d outrun earlier hitting him in the chest with the force of a blast. Whirling around sharply, Shadow glared at the figure he knew to be behind him.

Sonic stared back at him, his own expression carefully neutral.

“Leave me alone, faker.” Shadow snarled out, waiting for the other to take off. But the hero didn’t move. Instead, Sonic slipped into what Shadow recognized as his ‘battle ready’ stance, legs slightly apart and arms flaring loosely at his sides.

“A fight?” He couldn’t be serious. “I’m not in the mood.” But that was a lie, wasn’t it? Already, Shadow’s blood was thrumming with the promise of a battle, the anger and tension covering up all complicated emotions, replacing them with the urge to _move and fight_.

“I won’t hold back,” he warned the silent hedgehog. Shadow hated how much he wanted this, needed the outlet. The control of the contact. It hadn’t been this bad in so long, the phantom memories of being handled by G.U.N. soldiers, always poked, prodded, pushed and simply _touched_ against his will.

Touch was controlled in a fight. He could control it in ways he had never been able to master in his new life. But the remaining vestiges of his self control wailed against using Sonic for this, for his shameful need for control, for his inability to handle something as simple as a comrade’s friendly gesture.

Sonic remained still, eyes hard and expectant. It dawned on Shadow that Sonic might see this tension like the anger he’d had the night Rouge had returned with a mangled back.

Shadow felt confusion ebb in his chest for a few fleeting moments before the anger consumed it as well. With a wordless yell, he launched himself towards Sonic, unsurprised when the blue hero dodged him. He hesitated for only a brief moment before driving a blue knee into Shadow’s stomach.

The fight was messy. Brutal. Shadow’s attacks were sloppy and he could recognize it despite the haze of anger that fueled him. Sonic could likely sense it as well.

The opening arrived, so fleeting and small that he nearly missed the opportunity altogether, and Shadow gained the upper hand. 

Sonic was twisted on the ground beneath him, struggling against the knee in his chest and hand that pinned his arms awkwardly to the side. Leaning in, Shadow increased the pressure, tightening his grip. A side of him relished the closeness of victory. Sonic may have had the edge on speed, but the Ultimate Lifeform was stronger.

After a moment, Sonic stilled, limbs relaxing as much as they dared before looking at Shadow with the same patient, expectant gaze as before. But Shadow could barely register his opponent’s silent concession, the fury of battle still raging through his veins like a drumming war call. 

The taste of victory pooled in his mouth, invigorating and metallic. But Sonic didn’t look angry or upset at the loss like Shadow had come to expect. The hedgehog had remained level the entire fight, not once shooting some stupid comeback. Even the brutal attacks Shadow had jabbed at him had hardly seemed to faze him. 

Frustration bubbled up, tainting the taste of his victory and Shadow reared his fist back, ready to punch the stupid look off of the hero’s face.

Then, Sonic’s expression flickered for a moment. Just a moment. Pain flashing across his features, replaced by the same patience. Accepting of this. 

Of Shadow’s rage.

The realization cut through his anger like lightning, firing through all of his senses at once that this was _wrong._

Shadow released Sonic as if he had been burned, scrabbling back against the dirt and rocks.

Sonic had conceded to him. Something he never did. Shadow’s mind was reeling. This wasn’t a fight, it was an _apology_.

For what felt like hours, the only sound between the two was that of heavy breathing, only the gentle chirp of the night breaking the ragged sounds.

By all accounts, Sonic should be angry. Shadow’s attacks had been vicious… too vicious for a simple sparring match, and the hero had always hidden a short temper behind a grin.

Shadow expected outrage at least, his mind finally clearing from the fog of fear and anger that had gripped him earlier that night. But Sonic simply stood, shaking the dirt loose from his fur before slipping back into the loose, ready stance he’d started with, emerald eyes blazing steady with such an intense, measured focus that Shadow felt his mouth go dry.

Sonic remained silent, and without anything to bounce off of Shadow found himself at a complete and utter loss. 

Still, it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Sonic had infuriated him so many times, stumped and surprised him, but this was something different, it felt… like a peace offering along with an apology. Brow furrowed slightly, Shadow considered that this might also be an outlet for his warring emotions. Offered by the only other person who could handle it.

“I…” He tried, but the words twisted in his mouth, eloquence nonexistent. Words were always chosen carefully, succinct and practical. They were always controlled, but so very rarely truthful. He had always struggled with them, needing his words to match the truth.

Sonic shook his head, the kind and understanding gesture at odds with the ferocity with which he charged forward. 

Shadow reached out with both hands to deflect the oncoming attack, hands tightening around Sonic’s arms he jerked them both to a stop, nearly tumbling to the ground in the process. 

Beneath his hands Sonic’s body was tense, muscles locked up in alarm. Shadow froze as well, trying to find his words. In the breadth of space between them, an eternity stretched out. Their breaths mingled in the hollow created by their grapple, the scent of earth and electricity powerful and intoxicating. Finding his tongue, Shadow released tan furred arms slowly, deliberately, never breaking the gaze of emerald eyes.

“I….Thank you.” 

Sonic seemed dubious for a moment. Shadow wasn’t sure what he saw in his expression, but the hero’s eyes softened for a moment before he stepped back, nodding. And the answering grin was somehow worth all the struggle. 

Sonic extended a fist to him, eyes dancing in delight.

“Anytime Shads.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient with this chapter update. I must admit that Chaos Barren has recently dominated my life but that in no way means I've forgotten about Beyond a Promise or Core Tenets. Their updates may just be slower. Ever since I've gotten back into the writing groove I've realized that 5k chapters feel very short and incomplete to me now haha.
> 
> This story won't be as long as CB thankfully, and now that these two boys are getting the feels we can get the ball rolling eh?
> 
> Chapter updates may be a little slower but longer and hopefully higher in quality. At some point, I will return to the intial chapters and fix those up a bit as well.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> edit 7/22/20: Shadow's movie that he doesn't want Rouge to bring up is Lilo and Stitch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late, late birthday for one blue boy, but a memorable one nonetheless!

There had to be something said for the joys of a full house.

Chatter, the soft hissing sizzle of the grill just outside the kitchen door, the shuffle of paper plates as guests helped themselves to the food available, the occasional roar from the living room from _whatever_ game Knuckles had dug up this time around.

Lounging on a foldable lawn chair out on the patio in what qualified as their backyard, Sonic closed his eyes for a moment. Through the open door, the dregs of the summer day clung to the air. It might have been uncomfortable, the heat of the patio mixing with the cooler air wafting from inside the house, but the canvas of the chair was cool against his quills and Sonic could hardly find it in him to mind terribly.

The hero had always wondered what he might be like during peacetime. Peace was much like war, in its own way. Fleeting. Sudden to arrive or leave as it pleased. Sonic once thought he might hate it. Grow bored of it. But to tell the truth, it was as fascinating as it was peaceful. Running without risk, seeing his friends without danger hanging over their heads. It was nice.

“Rouge!”

Surprisingly, it was Tails’ voice who piped up. Sonic cracked one eye open, seeing the bat come out onto the patio through the door connected to the kitchen, a warm smile on her face. Shadow followed her, but seemed intent on telling Omega that he couldn’t fit through the low hanging doorway. The dude sounded put out.

“Hey guys!” Sonic stretched briefly, before hopping to his feet, feeling loose limbed from the warmth of the air. “Hey Omega, if you wanna hang just go around through the living room. It’s got a higher ceiling than the kitchen.”

Omega hummed, his processors whirring with Sonic’s information. Turning abruptly, he moved deeper into the house to search for an alternative exit.

“So a patio party, huh?” Rouge looked around appreciatively. It was simple, yet effective. Small tables were laid out, some already occupied by Sonic’s guests. The agent had to admire the effort that had gone into such an easy-going affair, drinks, food and seating made amply available to maintain an effortless, smooth atmosphere.

Sonic chuckled, leaning back in his chair. Rouge looked perfectly at home on the piece of ground she had claimed. Sonic had offered her his chair but she had merely grabbed a cushion from a patio chair and placed it on the floor. The bat could certainly look at ease no matter what spot she chose.

“It was Vector’s idea, actually.” He nodded to the crocodile, who wasn’t too far away, busy fussing over the grill, Espio watching curiously at his side.

“Apparently he and Es have been waiting for the opportunity to break out their new grill and identities as-” Sonic scrunched his face, trying to remember the exact words they’d chosen. “Grill dads?”

Rouge laughed along, and Sonic thought he spotted the ghost of a chuckle from Shadow, who leaned against the wall beside Rouge.

Omega, upon finally emerging to the patio, had been instantly claimed by Tails, Charmy, and Cream, the robot’s protests drowned out the moment the three had grabbed his massive arm and dragged him to the clearing they had chosen to play in. Well. Play was the word Cream had chosen. The gleam in Tails and Charmy’s eyes had told a different story but Sonic wasn’t going to try and stop them.

He was the birthday boy, dammit.

“Let me guess, chili dogs?” Sonic turned to look at Shadow. At first glance, it seemed like he had his trademark scowl, but Sonic could spot the softening edges rounding his gaze, the gentle upturn of his lips, so slight he might almost think he imagined it.

Almost.

“Actually, no.” Sonic’s own smile was slow. “Mainly because Vector threatened to grill _me_ if I suggested it and also because I’m trying to expand my palate.” He sipped from his drink daintily, amused at the pair’s dubious looks.

“I’d hardly call burgers to be an upgrade.” Shadow pointedly looked at the half eaten burger in Sonic’s lap.

“Hey, this is only to tide people over!”  
  
“For what?”

“I dunno, I saw some sliced meat and veggies so, whatever they’re planning is bound to be good.”

After some incidents involving one Master Emerald that had pushed the date of the event almost an entire week, Sonic’s party had finally gotten underway. He hadn’t minded pushing it back, so long as his friends could make it he’d enjoy whatever get together.

Sonic enjoyed chatting with Shadow and Rouge, the dark hedgehog surprisingly more engaging this time around despite the tense set of his shoulders. The hero figured this wasn’t exactly in his comfort zone, which was partly the reason he’d suggested they have the party kinda spread out around the house, instead of concentrated in one area. The sense of closeness still moved through the house and patio, with plenty of room in between for people who might be more… sensitive to larger groups of people.

It was an hour or so later that Vanilla arrived, the older rabbit smiling at Sonic and offering him a quick embrace.

“Thanks again for doing this, if it’s any trouble-” But the older rabbit was already shaking her head. 

“Not at all, you know it’s always a joy to help.”

Sonic leaned in to whisper in a conspiratory manner, “Tails and Charmy have definitely been scheming something, I’d keep an eye out if I were you.”

Vanilla laughed, leaning in to whisper as well. “They’ll behave.” She told him, tone wielding absolute certainty, and Sonic gulped as he remembered the steel that lay underneath the soft motherly charm of the older woman. 

“Party wrapping up so soon?” Rouge’s voice came from behind him. The bat had a couple of flowers placed delicately around her ears, the pink buds suiting her quite nicely.

“Not at all. Vanilla offered to take the kids to her place, I didn’t wanna have them around alcohol. Knuckles and Vector are heading out in a bit to buy drinks for the party.” He leaned against the wall, smiling at the flowers. “Speaking of, I can see Knuckles and Amy got to you.”

Rouge giggled, raising a hand to touch the assortment gently. “Yes well, I saw Cream sporting a gorgeous flower crown and knew I simply had to have one as well.” Her look turned sly as she stepped to the side. “I roped someone else into it too.”

Sulking behind the bat, Shadow was scowling darker than a thunderstorm, shooting Sonic a baleful glare when he caught his eye.

“Not. A. Word.”

“I had to pull out all the stops,” Rouge hummed, rolling her shoulders. Sonic got the message to not ask what that meant. “But it was worth it, don’t you think?”

And it was only the promise of murder in crimson eyes that stopped Sonic from full on dropping his jaw.

It wasn’t nearly a flower crown, just a smattering of daisies with a single daffodil tucked near his ear. Sonic figured Rouge must have placed them there herself because Knuckles would have refused and Amy would have also refused only _politely_. 

Still, Sonic was stricken by the sight. The dark hedgehog looked so different with something as simple as a handful of flowers in his quills. The tiny daisies stuck out against dark quills like stars in an inky sky. Shadow shifted and Sonic snapped out his little reverie, realizing he’d been openly staring at the other for a bit longer than normal. 

Chuckling nervously, he brushed his own quills back. missing Rouge’s knowing and smug smirk.

“My lips are sealed Shads but uh,” he winked, slipping back into his comfort zone, “flowers are a good look for you. I told ya, down to earth vibes and all that.”

“Well,” Shadow sniffed, pushing himself off of the wall. “I suppose flowers are preferable to dirt and sticks. Those suit you best, after all.”

Over the patio, Rouge’s bell-like laughter and Sonic’s undignified squawk rang out.

The party had not been absolutely terrible, if Shadow was being honest. Being so sprawled out, there was little crowding and plenty of room for him to carefully excuse himself without making a fuss.

Vector and Espio had finally begun to cook the mystery meal, the scent of sizzling meat and spices wafting over the patio and into the kitchen, where Shadow had gravitated to.

Sonic, being the birthday boy, had been pulled into some game in the living room. Shadow wasn’t terribly interested, the noises being far too loud for him to suitably relax. He was more than content to lean against the kitchen table, nursing a cup of warming beer.

Rouge and another figure flitted into the kitchen, and Shadow recognized the form of Amy Rose. The pink hedgehog gasped for a moment, devilish grin displaced momentarily.

“Oh! I thought everyone was either in the living room or outside.” She shot Rouge a glance but the bat only shrugged. 

“No…” he said slowly, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “It’s too loud in there.” 

“It’s okay, he won’t tell.” Rouge elbowed the pink hedgehog gently. Amy nodded firmly, joining him at the table.

“Sit, sit!” She ordered, looking around furtively.

Shadow raised a brow, looking first at her, then at Rouge. “Brave of you to assume I won’t.” But he sat nonetheless while taking a small sip from his drink, pulling a face at the taste.

“What are you drinking?” Without warning, Rouge was already in his space, peering into the contents of the cup. Shadow scowled but allowed it. “Beer?! Shadow!”

She tsked, hands on her hips. “And it’s a light brew too, not even something with flavor? Amy.” She looked to the pink hedgehog

 _When did they even become friends?_ Shadow wondered as the two women moved around him.  
  
“Already on it.” At the counter, Amy was pulling out a tall, dark bottle with a bow attached at the top.

“Is that a gift?” Shadow deadpanned, hands suddenly empty as the cup was plucked from him.

“Yes, but don’t worry.” A wry smile and a wink was flashed his way, “Sonic’s favorite kind of gift is one that can be shared. Why do you think all his birthday parties have been food oriented?”

“Hm.” Shadow frowned, but said nothing further. 

When presented with the bottle, Rouge truly showed off her skills. Before opening up her club and leaving crime(-ish), the bat had supported herself through odd jobs such as burglary and bartending, when things got too hot in the crime scene. Expertly, she uncapped the bottle with one hand, pouring the liquid into a glass without glancing at it as her other hand grabbed a smaller bottle of what Shadow thought was liqueurs.

“Is this necessary?” He griped. The process looked interesting enough, but he had never been one for alcohol or any other sort of numbing substances. His accelerated healing didn’t easily allow for intoxication and it seemed counter intuitive to seek it out.

“I know you can’t get drunk,” Rouge told him over her shoulder, hands curving the edge of a knife over an orange, a thin, perfect slice of peel coming loose, “but if you’re going to consume alcohol, I can at least make sure you’ll enjoy the taste.”

A few more seconds, and Rouge proudly handed him and Amy two neat glasses of dark liquor, the orange peel soaking atop of ice cubes.

“It won’t look as polished as it would if I had the right ice and glass,” she said by way of an apology, “but it should taste just as nice.”

Amy cooed over the glass, admiring the simple beauty of the drink. Shadow stared into swirling dark liquid before taking a small sip.

The drink was bitter, yes, but he could admire the complexity of the flavors, the orange peel and sugar balancing out the bitterness of the alcohol.

With a small start, he realized Rouge and Amy were watching him intently, no doubt expecting something. Shadow quickly cleared his throat.

“It’s not terrible. Better than the beer.” 

Rose seemed slightly put out his simple judgement, but Rouge nodded, satisfied.

“Now,” Shadow narrowed his eyes at the pair. It would take a lot more than alcohol to addle his memory. “You wouldn’t be up to anything, would you Rouge?”

For once, the bat looked properly scandalized, a hand poised delicately over her chest. “Excuse me? I’ll have you know that _I_ was the one roped into this. This is all Pinky’s doing.”

The pink hedgehog didn’t bother trying to deny or defend herself. She merely sipped her drink, giving the bat a cool, half-lidded stare. “So it’s like that, huh?”

After a beat, the two women burst into synchronous laughter.

Hm.

“Whatever you two are doing, I want no part in it.” Shadow decided firmly, taking another sip from his drink. It really was good.

“Oh that’s fine,” Rouge chuckled in a way that instantly put Shadow on red alert. “You might be in the, oh what did you call it, the _splash zone_ , but hey,” she shrugged, “if you don’t want to know that’s understandable. Your prerogative and all that.”

Shadow bit back a growl. He wasn’t stupid. He knew when Rouge tried to manipulate him. No, what made him furious was that he was starting to _let_ her. Though when he had confronted her about it she said it was less ‘manipulation’ and more ‘tactical coaxing.’ 

“Just tell me what I need to know so I can stay out of it.” He took another sip of his drink. Rouge pouted. “How did you even get roped in?” He asked the bat, raising an inquiring brow towards Amy.

“I overheard her and the little fox-”

“Tails.” Amy corrected.

“- right, Tails, talking about their little plan for the evening and… well, you know how I enjoy a good prank here and again.”

“Pass.”

“Wait! I haven’t even told you about the cream-filled balloons-”

 _“Hard_ pass.” He said flatly, all too amused to watch her fume, keeping his own expression strictly serious.

“What’s a hard pass?”

At the familiar voice, both Rouge and Amy froze like deer in headlights, the bat recovering nearly instantly. She neatly stepped in front of Amy.

“Oh! Just um, trying to…” her teal eyes glanced around furtively, clearly trying to latch onto a good cover. “Oh! Trying to convince Shadow to go play that game with you all. He secretly wants to, y’know.”

Sonic turned to look at Shadow, brow rising steadily towards his ears.

What game were they even playing now?

“Twister?” Sonic asked dubiously.

Well. Shit.

Behind Sonic, Rouge and Amy were pleading. Well, Amy was pleading while Rouge made some _very_ violent and inappropriate gestures behind the hero’s back.

“Rouge I-”

“ _Really_ wanna play twister, I know, sunshine.” 

Chaos, she was going to owe him _for life._

“Yeah.” He growled out. The very picture of excitement, he was certain. “I’d really love to play… twister.”

Sonic laughed, the bright sound somehow soothing jagged edges even now. Shadow could see the twinkle back in emerald eyes, similar to how Sonic had looked when he’d seen Shadow with flowers in his quills.

It was nice to see.

“Laugh it up.” Shadow sighed, resisting a chuckle himself.

“Wait, you sure man? Twister is… well it’s a bit close contact.” He lowered his voice. And Shadow swallowed his defensive reply, all too aware of the pair of eyes watching them intensely now.

‘It’s fine. I’ve been less… overwhelmed, recently.” A simple truth, but as Sonic’s smile softened, a muted joy gleaming in his eyes, Shadow dazedly thought he may have offered him the secrets of the universe.

“Great! Let’s join the rest then.” The smile on Sonic’s face was blinding, and Shadow resigned himself.

Contrary to popular belief, Sonic was not a person who could trust easily. Sure, he believed in second chances and redemption. But trust was something to be earned. Even with all his harsh words and demeanor, Shadow painted a different story with his actions. Sonic had to respect that.

But despite his open eyed belief in changes and second chances he had never in a million years expected _this._

Shadow making an effort to change.

And right now, making an effort to thunk the tip of a skate against a blue circle, before nodding triumphantly.

“You, uh, you good there, Shadow?” Silver asked, holding the little Twister board. With how large hedgehog quills were, only two could ever play at a time.

“Yeah Shadow,” Knuckles grunted from his own current position. Shadow’s skate and leg was positioned beneath his chest, the only thing holding him up were his two crossed arms. “You good?”

Red eyes looked at him lazily, the barest hint of a smug smile on his lips. “I could do this all day.” And the position he was in, was _ridiculous_ , Sonic thought.

“Shads, you’re supporting half your body weight on like, two fingers.” The hero muttered. He was little better, his lower body twisted on the mat as if he’d stopped mid kick spin.

“What, like it’s hard?”

Rouge had shown him one of her favorite movies just two nights ago. He didn’t tell her, but he’d really liked it.

Behind Sonic, Blaze snickered loudly.

“Alright Mr. Show-Off,” Sonic nodded at Silver, who flicked the board again. “Let’s see what you got.”

“Right hand, yellow.” Silver announced.

“Oh that one’s easy.” 

“It’s actually Knuckles’ turn.” Blaze reminded him.

Said echidna was trying to not groan as he realized where that would place his hand. Directly beneath Shadow’s armpit.

The black hedgehog narrowed his eyes in warning. “Echidna, don’t you dare.”

“Hope you’re not ticklish.” Knuckles grunted, reaching out, “and that you showered.”

Shadow watched the hand as if he wanted to bite it, but Knuckles had the mind to at least flatten his palm so his claws didn’t brush _too_ close to Shadow’s fur.

“Okay, Sonic’s turn.” But before Silver could flick the board again, Knuckles body trembled. He was stretched out too thin, body weight entirely unbalanced. Reaching out so far toppled his already precarious balance. He landed on the ground with a flat thud and angry groan.

“No fair!”

“Actually, that’s the game Knux.” Snickered the blue hero.

“Sonic, left leg green.”

“Aw _nuts.”_

Shadow’s body all but covered the green, the only opening he could reach being near his leg and arm….

Sonic had an idea.

“Shadow, don’t move.”

The black hedgehog leveled him with the flattest stare. 

“I’ll do my very best.” He drawled, and Sonic rolled his eyes, gaze catching on the prominent muscles of the Ultimate Lifeform’s arms.

 _Focus, Sonic_.

But the other hedgehog looked like he was barely struggling! It wasn’t fair.

Angling his upper body, Sonic stuck his left leg right between Shadow’s. Going over or under would have knocked one of them down without a doubt. So middle it was.

The position was far from risque, both hedgehog’s looking more like a just-colliding tangle of limbs and quills, but Sonic felt a flush rise to his muzzle at the contact nonetheless. He glanced up at the black hedgehog to apologize, crack a joke, say _something_ , but as always Shadow looked cool as a cucumber.

“Shadow,” Silver said, a little _plink_ sounding out as the arrow spun around on the cardboard. “Oof.”

Blaze leaned over her friend’s shoulder to look at the board, eyes gleaming with interest. “Oh, he’s lost.” She clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“What? What is it?” Turning his head as far as he could, which wasn’t very, he glared at the gray hedgehog. He may not have wanted to play this game to begin with but he wasn’t going to _lose_ either.

“Left leg red.”

Which meant…. Shadow stared at his lower body. He’d have to basically sprawl out across the mat to reach the color. Which wouldn’t be a problem if Sonic hadn’t inserted himself between his legs.

Damn him.

“Well, it was a good game, eh Shads?”Sonic said with a cocksure grin. And Shadow decided right then and there he was going to wipe the smug look off his face one way or another.

Grunting slightly, he shifted most of his body weight onto his hands, kicking his leg out in a careful arc. With a satisfying thud, his skate landed squarely in the middle of the red circle.

Grinning triumphantly, he turned to look at Sonic, ready to gloat, but Sonic was looking _anywhere_ but at him, his face so red it looked nearly purple.

“Uh.” Silver stammered. “M-maybe we should... call it a draw?”

“Hm.” Blaze took the board from him. “I’m entertained now. Sonic, left leg blue.”

“Wha-? But you didn’t even spin the arrow!”

“Left leg blue.”

“Seriously? Shads is all but _straddling_ me.” Sonic blustered, but looked at the mat anyway, figuring out the best plan of attack.

The words hit Shadow like a G.U.N. truck. He _was_ basically straddling Sonic, having twisted up near him to get his leg on the right circle.

His mind blanked out.

“Oomph, _ow-!_ ” The moment Shadow wobbled, Sonic fell with him, limbs too tangled to withstand the sudden weight. Shadow could hear the group laughing merrily, whooping to Sonic’s victory, but he could hardly care about his loss. Disentangling himself quickly, he rose to his feet.

Sonic hopped up next to him, laughing like he hadn’t _just_ been twisted up like the world’s bluest pretzel beneath Shadow.

“That was fun! You nearly had me there at the end, Shads.”

Blaze mumbled behind them, flicking the board idly. “He most certainly did…” 

Shadow ignored the cat, soothing his ruffled fur. “It was luck that you won, that’s all.”

“Sure,” Sonic rolled his eyes.

Knuckles chose that moment to stick his head through the doorway. “Yo guys, Amy asked us to gather outside for cake!”

Blaze frowned, cocking her head in confusion. “Didn’t we already have cake?”

“I think it’s another surprise,” Sonic shrugged, following them out of the room. He stopped to look at Shadow. “You coming, Shadow?”

“I’ll… be right behind you.” To be honest, he didn’t want to be caught up in what was no doubt the execution of a prank. But Sonic didn’t seem to move either.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind waiting.”

“It’s your surprise, faker.”

"Exactly. So they can wait.” 

Shadow groaned internally. Rouge owed him her jewels, her G.U.N. clearance, _everything._ Gathering his thoughts in preparation, Shadow hardly noticed Sonic moving towards him until a peach chest was in his line of view.

“I don’t think I got to say it earlier, but I’m really glad you came, Shads.”

Sonic was close. Much closer than Shadow expected him to be. But then again, Shadow never really expected anyone to be dumb enough to try and move into his personal space. But he was also starting to learn that Sonic walked the line between bravery and stupidity well, with a sure, cocky step.

However, there wasn’t any trace of mockery or posturing in the hero’s eyes this time. Just a simple, genuine sentiment. The fluttering in his chest morphed into a hammering.

“I-” he cleared his throat, glancing away. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sonic lean away, a smirk on his face. “We’re grateful for the invite.” Shadow answered finally.

Sonic looked a little amused, chuckling at his serious expression. “Not just you, eh? No worries, Shads.” He placed his hands on his hips, turning to peer at the empty doorway. “Think you’re up to go outside? Or… you don’t have to-” The blue hedgehog wilted suddenly. “If you want to stay inside that’s fine too, I know crowds aren’t your thing-”

“It’s alright,” Shadow sighed.He couldn’t very well _not_ go now. “Besides, Rouge would have my head if I didn’t try and ‘socialize’ more.”

“Great!” Sonic beamed. “Not the head thing of course though I _can_ see how a decorative plaque with your head on it would be tempting-”

“Shut it.” Shadow snorted. “Better me than you. Your mug might scare off any guests.”

“Oh now I’m _truly_ wounded, Shadow!” 

Shadow chortled at that, a short, ugly sound that snared Sonic’s attention in an instant. Quick as it came, the smile was gone from Shadow’s face, replaced with his-a-shade-too-close-to-angry, neutral expression.

“Did you just-”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shadow interrupted, evenly.

“You _did!_ Oh man,” Sonic puffed out his chest. “You _laughed_. I’m putting that on my tombstone. “ He cackled. “Sonic the Hedgehog, Fastest Thing Alive, made Shadow laugh once.”

“Guess I’ll have to add ‘defacing private property’ to my docket then.” 

“That’s cold-blooded, Shads.”

Outside, yells rang out. In the distance, someone cackled before screams pierced the once tranquil night, the sound of splashing water filling the air. The prank was closer to warfare, in Shadow’s opinion. As he huddled behind an overturned table, dragged to safety by Sonic and Knuckles, he vaguely wondered how his life had gone downhill so quickly.

Beyond the refuge of the table, he could hear Blaze attempt to negotiate with Amy, her voice pitching higher and higher until the tell-tale splash. A loud, angry yowl sounded out, followed by the distinct burst of what he guessed was a decently sized fireball.

Shadow sighed. 

War was hell.

“Knuckles, you got ammo?!”

“Roger!” The echidna barked, lugging over what looked like a picnic blanket full of water balloons. 

“Shads, load up!”

“Absolutely not.” He returned Sonic’s flat look with his own fiery glare. He had played nice _plenty_ today.

“Fine, but when you get pelted and want revenge, you can’t have any of mine.”

Grumbling, Shadow closed his eyes. He was going to chaos control out of here and get some damned rest-

“Arrgh! What the-” Shadow looked down at his soaked pelt, turning wide eyes to a grinning blue hedgehog. Sonic looked nonchalant. Far too nonchalant. Shadow glared at him, eyes narrowed to slits. 

“Faker.” Disbelief and accusation, rolled into one word.

“Yeah, Shads?”

_“Sonic.”_

At his name, Sonic’s eyes widened. Shadow so rarely called him by his name… if ever. A tiny shiver ran up his spine, like an early autumn wind. Sonic blinked the feeling away, distinctly aware that Shadow’s glare was becoming less shocked and moving closer towards absolutely murderous.

“Y-yeah, Shads?”

“I hope your affairs are in order,” the Ultimate Lifeform growled, leaning into a predatory crouch, “because I’m about to _obliterate_ you.”

But before Shadow could deliver on his totally serious threat, a sharp whistle screeched through the air, pulling them both up short. There wasn’t even a chance to glance upwards before hell rained down from above: thick, creamy hell wrapped in balloons.

Yelling in surprise, they both glanced upwards to catch a glimpse of Rouge blowing them a kiss before swooping away.

“Tails and Charmy send their regards!” She called out gleefully, wings taking her up to safety.

Yells from across the patio rose up once more; no doubt they were more victims of Rouge’s carefully aimed projectiles. Shadow stared blankly across the yard, Sonic shuffling beside him.

“Truce?” The hero asked, loading up on balloons. 

For a long moment, Shadow didn’t reply. It wasn’t until a familiar shape pulled up beside him that he held out a hand, fingers brushing against Sonic’s as the hero handed him something squishy and soft. He nodded, gripping the balloon.

“Truce.”

As a water balloon burst in the air, Shadow cursed, holding his hand out for another one.

“You’re throwing them too hard!” Knuckles yelled out from behind him, shoving another balloon into the outstretched hand.

“I _know_ ,” The balloon in his hand burst from his grip. Shadow muttered a stream of colorful language, shaking the water and rubber from his hand. “This is useless, we’ll never hit them like this! We need to get in close.” He narrowed his eyes at the dark figure above. They were safe from Amy from the time being, the pink hedgehog hellbent on soaking the birthday boy.

So long as Sonic kept her busy they could focus on the aerial attack-

“Hey guys!”

Shadow damned Sonic and his entire lineage. “Faker, you were supposed to keep her _occupied.”_

“Yeah, I know.” Sonic shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking around nervously. “But then I lost her.”

“You _what?”_ Knuckles tore his eyes from the sky to glare at Sonic, who was looking more and more sheepish.

On the edge of the patio, a loud creaking groan shook the earth. The trio turned to look at the large oak tree as it shivered and shook before being uprooted entirely by none other than Miss Amy Rose herself.

“Amy! Please!” Silver’s aura glowed as the hedgehog fell out of the tree she was holding, catching himself with his telekinesis. Amy gripped the tree to her body, hardly breaking a sweat as she swatted at a flailing Silver with the foliage.

“This was my FAVORITE DRESS, SILVER.”

Shadow felt so very tired.

“I found her.” Knuckles piped up, unhelpfully.

“Okay, while she’s occupied with him, let’s focus on Rouge.” Sonic proposed, turning back to Knuckles and Shadow. The sounds of Silver’s pleas filled the background. The three dutifully tuned them out.

“It’s no use, these balloons can’t hold up to much speed.” Shadow shook the balloon in his hand, watching it jiggle. Mocking him.

Taking the balloon, Sonic scrutinized it, brow furrowed in concentration. “Okay, so we deliver the balloon differently.” He looked at Shadow then, a sharp grin cutting through the black hedgehog’s stale mood. “Say Shads, how good is your aim.”

Sensing a challenge, Shadow resisted the quirk of his own lips. “Impeccable.”

The air sparked between them with unspoken intent and energy, both hedgehogs sizing the other up, accepting the quiet challenge.

Shoving them aside brusquely, Knuckles dodged another cream-filled ballon. The echidna whirled on them, eyes flashing. “Can you two do this dance _later_ and handle the psycho with wings!”

Scowling, Shadow turned back to Sonic, who looked like he was trying his best to imitate a tomato. He was ready.

Curling quickly into a ball, Sonic rolled around briefly on the floor, testing the terrain. “It’s weird doing this without a set trajectory.” The words were hardly a mutter from this defensive position.

Shadow huffed, lifting the hedgehog carefully. “Just don’t muck this up, faker.”

“Then don’t miss.” Came the muffled retort. Knuckles threw his hands up in defeat, the echidna stomping away.

Taking a brief moment to aim, Shadow grunted as he launched Sonic into the air. A perfect throw. The blue form arched through the air, the hero uncurling at the peak of his curve. Sonic laughed gleefully, a shocked Rouge whirling around just in time to see a blue demon descend from the darkness above.

The balloon hit her square in the face.

Rolling back into a ball, Sonic landed back onto the ground with a heavy thud, tearing up dirt as his spin absorbed most of the impact.

Beside Shadow, Knuckles whooped at the impact before cursing and running to catch a falling Rouge. His work complete, Shadow dusted his hands.

With victory so near, they were finally able to subdue the two women; Blaze and Silver joining in on the effort once the tide turned, (Amy did not go down easily, but she _did_ go down). With the worst of it over, even Vector and Espio emerged from the house, the two older mobians looking suspiciously in the know of the whole ordeal.

Rouge was back on the ground, the white bat looking pitiful in a towel Knuckles had brought for her.

 _“You.”_ Shadow growled, stalking towards her. Teal eyes turned towards him, large, sad and watery. He faltered.

“Shadow!” Rouge cried out, sounding so close to tears that the black hedgehog’s annoyance threatened to snuff out entirely. Was she hurt? There were no signs of any injury and her wings had been cleared by the doctor- 

“Shadow my _makeup!_ It’s ruined! My flower crown!”

Staring at her, he realized she was in actual despair. A fact that was both hilarious and infuriating. He might have even chuckled while he proceeded to destroy her, as was his original intent. But instead of doing any of that, Shadow simply sighed, shaking some water from his quills.

“Let’s just go, we have work in the morning.”

Rouge pouted, wrapping the towel tighter around herself. “Don’t be mad sunshine, I did it for you.”

Shadow snorted at that, looking around the yard for Omega. “I’m sure you did.” He said absentmindedly.

“I asked Omega to stay inside, we couldn’t figure out how to turn his cannons into water blasters and he got _real_ surly.” She bumped his shoulder with her own. “And I mean it! Mark my words, you _will_ thank me someday.”

“When the day comes that I thank you for this,” Shadow gestures to his soaked, sticky pelt, “I’ll go ahead and eat my gloves too.”

Rouge stared at him for a moment, before bursting into a bell-like laughter. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep!”

Shadow rolled his eyes, leaving her to stalk across the lawn. The night was clear and quiet once more, Sonic whisked away once more by friends, apologies, and towels. Far away from the commotion, Shadow felt his heart settle for the first time that evening. Idle fingers rubbed at his chest as he got lost in thoughts of the day. His emotions felt more erratic than usual. Much like his anger from before but… this wasn’t purely anger. Whatever it was, it left him more anxious and defensive all the same.

Shadow frowned as he pondered the fact that he might be losing his hard earned progress. Shaking the thought from his mind, he gathered Omega and Rouge, heading back home with them. 

As Shadow settled into bed for the night, a bright smile and emerald eyes fluttered around the edges of his mind, their presence both a comfort and source of confusion for the ultimate lifeform. Before he could question their presence too deeply, Shadow let them lull him to a doze, the sense of comfort and cool sheets soothing after the long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Unrestrained Summer Fun!~
> 
> Short, fun slice of life chapter! Man, I'm really trying here but these boys are naturally oblivious. See y'all next time!


	8. Miscalculated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow must right an error. Risking everything, a rival reminds him it's not all a zero-sum game.

Scowling, Shadow glanced down at his communicator. A bulky, disgusting thing G.U.N. insisted he wear on missions. The device itself wasn’t a hindrance, but having a line constantly open to them was sometimes more than he could handle.

_“Agent Shadow?”_

The Ultimate Lifeform bit back a sigh, bringing the piece up to reply curtly. “I’m outside the jungle now, will proceed _as scheduled.”_ The bite in his tone was hard to miss, but he did little in the way of masking it to begin with.

After weeks, they had finally localized the erratic pulses enough to create a perimeter. The chaos entity, as the higher ups had taken to calling it, might well be located in this sect of remote jungle. The humid air hung heavy and moist, almost oppressing when coupled with the intense glare of the sun. Still, Shadow sprung into action, no less deterred.

The morning brief hours ago had been just that. Brief. Ordered to gather reconnaissance and report back, Shadow had been sent on ground with Omega and Rouge providing aerial support. His skin prickled with suspicion and distrust, but there was little operating room in this case. And with no civilians to worry about Shadow didn’t really care what the final choice was.

Streaking through the jungle, the Ultimate Lifeform was hard pressed to not recall a different time in a similar environment, years ago now. A battle against a blue hedgehog who both infuriated and enticed him. Shadow huffed, the briefest of smiles gracing his lips. How little things changed.

The rocky ground gave way to a gentle incline, the taper giving way sharply to a craterlike indentation in the ground. It must have been a sinkhole long ago, the edges soothing into a gradual incline rather than a steep drop. The sound of wings and engines let him know Rouge and Omega were inbound, his team members putting their aerial skills to use. 

The center of the sinkhole was dark, but overgrown. Gnarled roots and dark foliage clustered around the deeper parts of the hole. Carefully, Shadow approached the entrance. Whatever the entity was, it was strong enough to grow and learn. This didn’t intimidate the black hedgehog in the slightest. It was alive.

Which meant it could be killed.

They could lure it out, fight it in the open, but that would cater too much to the entity’s advantage.

“So,” Rouge easily stretched her landing into a stride and peered at the center, eyes narrowed as if trying to pierce through the dark. “it’s in there?”

Nodding curtly, Shadow turned to the two. Omega straightened.

“AFFIRMATIVE. SENDING CONFIRMATION NOW.”

Smacking the metal hull of Omega’s chestplate, Rouge hushed him. “Keep your voice, big guy. If that thing’s in there I don’t wanna let him know we’re here.” A sly smile curled on her lips. “Besides, he’s going to get his own explosive surprise soon enough.”

Unimpressed by the theatrics, Shadow crossed his arms. “So we’re bombing the entrance?”

“Oh no.” The bat shook her head. “G.U.N. in going to focus a missile on this exact location and obliterate everything within a ten mile radius.” She opened her arms to gesture around her. “No people around here for leagues. What better chance than this?”

Shadow blinked. Had he missed some important information during the brief? “That wasn’t covered this morning.”

“It was.” Rouge’s lip curled in distaste. “But they were very sly about it. Honestly, it’s more an excuse to test out their new toys rather than any true tense of duty.” Rolling her eyes, Rouge gave her wings an experimental flap, pleased when there was no pain. “But hey, no people around so it’s one of their lesser evils.”

The whole situation sat uncomfortably with Shadow, but he had no real ground to fight it. The monster would be defeated soundly and no one would be hurt. 

“Fine,” he snapped, shaking off the chill that snuck in his fur. An odd sensation amidst the heat of the midday sun. “Let’s clear the area before-”

Rouge waited a beat before turning to look at her friend who was frozen in place.

“Shadow?”

Instantly, his face twisted into one of anger and disbelief. Following his gaze, Rouge sighed when she saw the same thing he did.

Sonic the Hedgehog, waving brightly from the otherside of the crater.

A huff of laughter escaped her as the hero leaned into a gentle jog.  
  
“Oh sunshine, your date’s here.”

Sonic had never fancied himself as a leader in the traditional sense. Rebuilding a world ravaged by war was a tedious task, the more boring demands escaped him but he did what he could, helping out Amy and Knuckles in HQ, from time to time. A role Sonic partook in with less joy than normal. But when Tails had asked if he wanted to help with a recon job the hero had all but leapt at the opportunity. Recon missions were straightforward and in his experience could come accompanied with an interesting twist from time to time.

Tails had pulled the same odd readings he’d found only a handful of weeks ago. With something more concrete he was determined to figure out whether it was a rogue emerald or something more worrisome. Considering the energy readings had stopped near a small village that existed off the grid, it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Yo Tails! Any word from the chieftess?”

“Yup!” The young fox’s voice chipped happily through the ear piece. “She said they’re good, alls been quiet recently. They had a good harvest this year.”

“No doubt thanks to your help, little buddy.” Sonic chuckled. The fox had been quick to assist the small tribe in rebuilding their irrigation system, destroyed by an unexpected landslide.

“Oh it was nothing.” He could almost imagine the bashful look on his brother’s face, twin tails swishing happily.

“You’re too modest, Tails. Learn a little from me.” Streaking up a curved tree trunk, Sonic curled and twisted in the air, the exhilaration of the freefall pulling a laugh from deep in his chest.

A scoff crackled through the ear piece. “I can already fly, Sonic. No need to give me a head full of hot air.”

“That stings, bro. That stings.”

Racing ahead of the Tornado, Sonic scouted out the area. He was faster than Tails, but couldn’t see the same amount of area that the fox could atop the plane. 

As it turned out, he didn’t need to. Following the readings, Sonic slowed to a jog, dense foliage giving way to an open stretch of land that dipped deep into what looked like the beginnings of a cave system.

A settled sink hole maybe. Across the expanse a bright unnatural glint caught his eye.

Brightening, Sonic recognized the forms of Team Dark, hand already raised in a friendly wave.

“Hey! What brings you all round these neck of the woods?”

At the black hedgehog’s dour expression, Sonic couldn’t help but laugh. All work and no play, that Team Dark. But when a hand slapped across his mouth, Sonic actually froze in surprise. He quickly relaxed realizing it was Shadow. The black hedgehog had sprinted the distance, eyes blazing in warning.

_“Quiet,_ you dolt!” He hissed, only releasing the hero after a moment and wiping his glove on Sonic’s shoulder.

The blue hedgehog pulled a face. “Sick, dude. If you’re gonna put your hand in my mouth at least warn me.”

Shooting him an exasperated glare, Shadow turned back to the indentation in the ground, the darkness near the bottom seeming more treacherous with each passing minute.

“You would do well to leave this area,” he intoned evenly. “G.U.N. has tracked the presence of a dangerous entity here and plans to obliterate it.”

Raising a brow, Sonic followed his gaze to the entrance of the cave systems, looking up only to grin at Rouge and Omega in greeting. “Obliterate it, huh? So there’s more of you guys showing up?” He scratched at his ear in thought. “I can tell Tails to warn the nearby village, do you think it’ll get too out of hand?"

Sonic pulled up short at their expressions. Frozen for a moment before turning to face him. Disbelief that creeped closer to horror with each ticking second.

Before anyone could speak, the shrill beep of the communicator on Shadow’s wrist screamed.

_“Team Dark, missile has been deployed. If you are not evacuated from the area, do so immediately.”_

“Wait.” Snarling, Shadow pressed to respond viciously. Desperately. _“Wait_ a damn second. There’s people here.”

For a moment, the communicator was silent, and in the seconds that dragged by Shadow could feel his nerves fray further.

_“That’s impossible,”_ the reply came at last, the human having the decency to sound troubled. _“The area is listed as uninhabitable and devoid of any settlements.”_

When three pairs of eyes looked up to Sonic he set his jaw. “They’re here. No less than three miles west of here. It’s a small village but they are _here.”_

That was enough for Shadow. “There are people here. Deactivate the missile.” He ordered, steel masking the tremor deep within his bones.

_“Agent Shadow, that isn’t possible.”_ The human’s voice pitched ever so slightly. _“Security protocol. Missiles cannot be diverted once launched. The only thing that will stop it’s course is impact or completion of the set course."_

Shadow clicked off the communicator, cold eyes boring into the useless tech wrapped around his wrist. He didn’t have time to wait for the orders to arrive from higher up. The cold reality of the situation doused his body and he glanced up to see Rouge.

“Okay,” she clicked her tongue. “G.U.N. is useless and time is against us, nothing new here, alright? Let’s make a plan.”

Sonic cut a lap around the edge of the indentation once more, green eyes flicking to the trio that had not moved from their corner. He was getting antsy. As far as he knew, the missile was still inbound. Sonic had already run to the village once to begin the evacuation and then a second time, thirty eight seconds later, to double check how they were going. There was no running from the truth, they were running out of time.

The hero hadn’t seen Shadow like this in a long time. Years even. Pallid and stone-faced, he spoke with Rouge and Omega, outlining their plan of action.

“Quit circling and get over here, faker.”  
  
The sharp voice cut across the air easily enough and despite the circumstances, Sonic felt his lips quirk up in a smile. 

“Oh?” In a blink, he appeared beside Rouge, “am I invited to the big kid’s table now?”

“This is serious.” Shadow didn’t even look at him, and Sonic felt his heart plummet. “Right, sorry. How can I help?”

Omega pointed a metal claw to the projection emanating from his arm. “THE INCOMING MISSILE WILL CREATE A BLAST RADIUS THAT WILL ENCOMPASS THIS AREA.” A red circle flooded the map as Omega spoke. “BUT IF IT CAN BE INTERCEPTED AT THIS ALTITUDE THE AREA AND SURROUNDING TERRAIN WILL BE SPARED FROM THE BLAST RADIUS.”

Shadow nodded firmly, gaze unfocused. Something would have to intercept the missile to detonate it. “I see… we should focus on evacuation. Omega, will your missiles be enough to detonate the projectile?”

The robot said nothing for a moment, the beautiful day at odds with the situation.

“PERHAPS. MY ARSENAL IS NOT SUITED FOR SUCH RANGED ATTACKS BUT…” here he trailed off. Rouge didn’t like that one bit.

“It’ll be fine.” She said sharply, wings tucked in close. “We evacuate the area and deal with the fallout afterward. Shadow, Sonic.” The hedgehogs straightened as she spoke to them. “You two are the fastest. Get to the village, start getting them out of there. If that cute little fox has his plane, tell him we’ll need all hands on deck.”

Winking, Sonic nodded, puffing up proudly. “Yeah he’s up there. I’ll get him right on it.”

Rouge ran the numbers through her head once more. They needed more hands… more everything, but this was all they had.

“What will you be doing?” Shadow looked at Rouge, the bat looking as unflappable as ever. 

“Omega and I will follow behind you. It’ll be easier to coordinate from there.”

“Perhaps someone should keep an eye on the chaos entity?” The black hedgehog murmured, hands tightening around his inhibitor rings. “Make sure it doesn’t escape.”

Rouge shot him a sympathetic glance. “Any other time, I’d agree. But we have bigger fish to fry right now, sunshine. And if this missile doesn’t wipe it out, then I’m not sure what will.”

A stony calm settled over the black hedgehog’s face and he nodded. Without a word, twin streaks of black and blue trailed off into the woods.

Sighing, Rouge stretched her wings. The sound of Omega’s jets firing to life was the only reassurance she had right now. Tapping his armoured shoulder, she smiled up into the glowing eyes of her friend.

“Alright big guy, we’ve been up against tougher odds. Let’s get this done.”

“I CALCULATE LESS THAN PREFERABLE ODDS.”

Rouge rolled her eyes, launching into the air with practiced ease. Omega knew so much, the perfect machine in many ways, and at the same time only time and experience could teach him the finer points of approaching overwhelming obstacles. 

“Change your tone and you can pick the movie tonight.”

The robot’s eyes seem to gleam brighter, machinery whirring imperceptibly to all but the bat’s keen ears. “RECALCULATING. ODDS ARE GOOD.”

Her laughter rang through the space. Despite the terrible odds, it was never a waste to try for a good laugh. Doubt niggled at the back of her mind, a luring and dark hole she didn’t dare delve too deep into. Omega had said it best.

The odds were good.

Introductions to the small village were quick and graceless. With Rouge and Omega hot on their heels, Sonic breezed through the names with the village leader. The chieftess, a hardy looking squirrel, seemed more confused than alarmed. But she greeted both Sonic and Tails readily enough.  
  
“My people.” She had frowned. “Some can fly, but we cannot outrun a bomb.”

Sonic’s answering smile was true to form, the hedgehog swiping a thumb across his nose in a practiced motion. “No need to worry ma’am, Shadow and I here are plenty fast for your village. Strong enough to flip a G.U.N. truck with one hand- carrying people to safety will be a walk in the park for him, isn’t that right Shads?”

Shadow nearly chucked in response to the nonchalant tone, lured into an easy state by the gentle mellow of Sonic’s voice. But the tense set of the chieftess’ shoulders reminded him how dire this situation was. How much was on the line because of his carelessness.

“We better get started.” He clipped, missing the way Sonic’s ears drooped slightly. “There’s much work to do to move your people to safety. We will begin with the children first.”  
  
Nodding, the chieftess seemed relieved by his suggestion. No doubt it would have been the same choice Rouge would have made.

“My colleagues will be along soon, a bat named Rouge and a machine named Omega.”

Confident that the chieftess would handle herself well as they worked, Sonic and Shadow could focus on evacuation. Omega was best suited for carrying larger groups but was in no way as fast as the two hedgehogs. 

Shadow silently hoped that it would be enough.

It was quick and clumsy work but with most of them evacuated, the village was quiet. The remaining mobians huddled around the entrance, waiting patiently for their turn, the occasional eye turning skyward in an attempt to catch glimpse of the light that threatened to take their lives. The hammering in Sonic’s chest was outmatched only by the steady thrum of his shoes over the ground. Skidding to a halt before Shadow the speedster huffed, a quirked smile already in place to greet him despite their circumstances.

“So what’s next, boss?” Sonic quipped lightly, smile growing at the black hedgehog’s frustrated glare. 

“Follow me, and don’t you dare fall behind.”

Just like Shadow, the words were direct and sent a fluttering thrill to Sonic’s chest. He stared for longer than might have been considered normal, a question in his gaze at the odd phrasing. But it didn’t put him off. Once upon a time it might have, but Sonic knew much better now. 

“Aw Shads, I’ll follow you anywhere.” In the moment it took to say those words, Sonic’s mouth had already clicked shut. “Uh, out of the blast range that is…” The recovery was weak, voice trailing off in a nervous chuckle. He missed the way Shadow’s eyes widened in the glance thrown his way.

The ultimate lifeform stalled for a moment, seemingly frozen beneath his gaze before turning, streaking down the forest path.

Sighing, Sonic leaned into his run, wasting little time. Shadow’s form was familiar and easy to follow. Take away the impending missile and overwhelming obstacles and Sonic could almost pretend this was just another run. Another moment shared.

It had always been like this with Shadow. From the first moment they met it had been one clash after another. Words, fists or races, it didn’t matter. Their shared history was long. Steeped in misunderstanding, anger, happiness…- but that was all right by Sonic. Shadow wasn’t just anyone. He was _Shadow._ Even with Eggman, despite all of his crimes and horrific actions, he could never find it in himself to fully dismiss the human’s potential for redemption. And for Shadow?

Well, he’d had a good heart from the start.

_“Shadow?”_ The communicator on Shadow’s wrist blared with the tinny transmission.

“Yes?” 

“We have a problem.”

Biting off a snarl, Shadow dragged a hand down his face. Another problem to tack onto what seemed to be increasingly insurmountable odds. It was frustrating. He was faster than the missile could ever be and they were still up against the wire. “What is it?” The sound of Sonic’s feet behind him was a familiar rhythm, the only comfort in the madness.

“Looks like our big guy found some stragglers. Needs a couple extra hands to carry them. You two are faster. You mind?”

“Do we have a choice?”

Without waiting for a reply, Shadow ended the transmission, turning back to Sonic. Unified, they skid to a stop, all business once again.

“We’ll need to move quickly. The missile will be in sight soon enough and I don’t want to leave this a rushed job.”

The implications of the words seemed clear to Sonic. They had to get everyone out. No exceptions. Emerald eyes hardened in understanding.

“Lead the way then.”

A sharp nod and they were off. It was in moments like these that Shadow seemed unreadable to Sonic. But he didn’t mind it terribly. All in all, the speedster moved at his own speed and was more than content to allow others to move at theirs. A tough call to make with Amy, but all in all it had ended up with him keeping one of his oldest and closest friends.

The forest was vast with the tribe scattered in pockets, and when Shadow stopped abruptly in his tracks Sonic had to skid to a halt and double back to find him, thinking he had missed their stop.

“Is it here?” There was no sign of any habitation in the spot of the forest they’d stopped at. The hero frowned, tempted to nudge the other. “Wasn’t Omega further out thatta way?”

Looking down at the ground, Shadow’s brow was furrowed. He seemed pensive. Conflicted almost. And though they were up against the clock, Sonic trusted the ultimate life form’s judgement enough to wait him out. After all, Shadow knew better than anyone what was at stake here.

A moment longer, and he finally looked up, meeting Sonic’s gaze with unwavering intensity. Crimson eyes that were always so guarded, shut off from the scrutiny of the world, were laid bare before him. Sucking in a breath Sonic wondered briefly if Shadow had ever looked at his so openly before.

“If we cut it too close, I need you to let me do what I have to do.”

The words made no sense to Sonic, lost amidst hues of red and black, but the tone…

“What does that mean? The plan is to get everyone and get out of the blast zone. Or am I missing something?” Sonic was certain he wasn’t, his own mind clearing with the cold grip of alarm.

“That’s the plan,” Shadow nodded, “but we’re cutting it close-”

“Then we should be running-”

“Sonic, listen to me.” His voice deepened and Sonic’s chest fluttered with a mixture of guilt and affection. But still, he listened.

“Should the missile come to close, I can detonate it in the air, keep the blast far enough away.”

For the first time, the smile dropped entirely from the hero’s lips. 

“Dude… c’mon-”

“I am serious.” He stepped closer. “This is G.U.N.’s fault… I will accept responsibility for this. I gave them the all clear.”

“Shads this is stupid. Let’s just hurry up and you won’t even have to worry about that-”

“You’ll let me do what I need to do.” It wasn’t phrased as a question or a request, but when Sonic finally looked at Shadow again, it felt more like a plea than anything.

Reaching out would have been so simple, but Sonic didn’t allow himself. He couldn’t. Shadow held himself coldly, a self-isolating aura enveloping the hedgehog; closed off from anything or anyone once more. Instead, Sonic offered his own sad smile in reply.

“You know it doesn’t work like that.”

The hero stepped back first, the tug of the time constraint pulling him away from the warmth he knew Shadow had to offer. So close and inviting.

There was no time. He had to remind himself.

Reluctantly, Shadow followed his path, responsibility weighing him down like chains around his chest.

Omega met them at a halfway point, arms laden with mobians clinging to his massive frame rather haphazardly.

“WE MUST CLEAR THE ZONE.” Despite the monotony of Omega’s voice, Shadow could almost detect an element of concern.

The robot looked at him, eyes gleaming, beginning to hand over some of the mobians who were already falling off.

They were terrified. Limbs shaking and fingers gripping the smooth surface of Omega’s armor. Their home, lives, families uprooted. All because of Shadow’s carelessness. Because of his choice.

“Hand some of them to me, big guy.” Sonic’s voice flowed over them with ease. He carefully adjusted them, grunting from the exertion of carrying two mobians. He might be slightly winded but if Shadow knew Sonic, he’d run himself into the ground before ever stopping.

“I WILL BEGIN FLIGHT SEQUENCE. I WILL NOT REACH THE END OF THE BLAST RADIUS BEFORE THE TIME IS OUT. THERE ARE SOME LEFT IN THE VILLAGE. ELDERS. THEY WILL NOT MAKE IT. YOU SHOULD TAKE THE REST, SHADOW. I WILL REMAIN AND ATTEMPT TO DETONATE THE MISSILE. I MAY NOT REACH IT IN TIME, YOU SHOULD REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE BLAST ZONE.” 

Shadow blinked, looking at his friend’s outstretched claws. Not only would the people of the village suffer for his choices, but his friends too. How many times had Omega been captured, destroyed, manipulated. Yet he made this sacrifice once again so easily.

_It should be mine to make._

“No.” Carefully, Shadow curled Omega’s claw closed, red eyes meeting gleaming orange. “Take them and go, Omega. Follow Sonic. It’ll be okay.”

Missiles could not be remotely detonated once launched. But Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform. The ultimate weapon. He had the force to prematurely detonate it in the sky. Miles above. He could do it. He could not chaos control it far enough away without an emerald, but he could at least destroy it.

The chaos entity would survive but so would everyone else. Rouge would be safe. Omega would be safe. They could continue doing what they did best. Keeping an eye on G.U.N. Helping people. And Sonic…

Sonic.

He did so much good. Shadow thought about everything they’d ever been through. Every Eggman plan foiled, all the lives saved. Bringing a sense of ease to any situation by the mere merit of his presence.

And him? He was none of that.

Never the light that shone through the darkness, always a mere shadow.

Of course nothing had changed since his conception, there was always some sort of blood on his hands. Staining through his gloves and marring everything he touched. Everyone who came into contact with him was touched by the tar of his sins. Shadow may survive direct impact with the missile but would it be so bad if he didn’t? The world didn’t need someone like him. 

“YOU AND THE BLUE ONE CAN MOVE FASTER-”

“I know.” He cut him off firmly. Gently. He took a step back. “Go as fast as you can. Follow Sonic as far as you can.”

“Shads wait there’s people in the village-”  
  
Shadow looked at Sonic then, green eyes wide in concern and something more. He knew what was running through Sonic’s mind even now. The many solutions they could take. But they had no time. All the speed. No time. No emeralds. No way out but this one.

“I know. Lead the way for Omega. There’s no time to waste.”

He couldn’t look into those eyes anymore. See the afternoon light glinting off his fur like starlight. Shadow adjusted his inhibitor rings, loosening them slightly.

“Can you do this?” Shadow asked. There was no bite to his question, his own expression threatening to falter beneath the unwavering attention of Sonic’s eyes. He was far too precious to risk to something as asinine as a missile. 

The smile that Sonic offered was thin, weak. A paltry thing compared to the beam of light that so often emanated from him. “Yeah, man.” He coughed, voice quiet.

Nodding sharply, Shadow turned, skates blasting in a flurry of energy and wind. Even as he raced through the trees, he could feel those eyes bore into his back.

His mind quieted, running over the few details he knew of G.U.N.s missiles. It was probable he’d survive the hit point blank. The full brunt of his choice fell over him like a weight. As he streaked towards the missile, now visible in the vibrant sky, he wondered if he might have mustered the courage to tell Sonic how he felt. There was too much uncertainty, but he realized now how deeply the hedgehog had occupied both his mind and heart.  
  
It wasn’t a startling realization by any means, the knowledge had always existed deep within him, but he had never had a reason to look too deeply within. Loss had taught him to guard himself, his heart and mind. How fitting that the most obnoxious hedgehog had found his path over and around those walls.

As he stood at the edge of the crater where they’d arrived, he wondered if Sonic might have felt the same or simply smiled the same quiet, weak smile. A sad one. His skates hissed to life, drowning out the noise of his thoughts.

The wind howled in his ears, pebbles scattering across the ground in his wake. The missile was high in the air, maybe… 4 miles. Chaos, would it be enough? The chaos energy needed to cut through the distance and altitude in time would be immense indeed.

A sprint and a jump, that’s all he needed.

He should have told him how he appreciated him. Felt the loss as deep as a wound when he was imprisoned for six months, feeling how his heart thawed at the news of his escape. Told him how he loved being his friend, for the short while they were.

Maybe even… told him a bit about his feelings.

But as he ran, his resolution hardened. Launching into the air, Shadow only allowed himself one thought; the glimmer of the sun off Sonic’s quills.  
  
He wondered if they were as soft to the touch.

The air howled in his ears and Shadow narrowed his eyes against the battering force of the wind. The missile loomed, shining brighter and coming closer with every second that passed. It was large. Powerful.

He had narrowly survived a fall from space. Realizing there’s a narrow possibility that he might not make it he… appreciates his last thoughts for what they were. Sonic’s laughter. His beauty and the thought of something more.

The missile was close. So close. 

Would a chaos spear be enough? Energy snapped at his fingertip. All he could muster for this one attack. It pierced the air, twinkling in the blue sky amongst the clouds like a star.

Warmth enveloped him from behind, a secure grasp that pulled him back towards the earth with a comforting touch.

The world blinked, then burned white.

Sonic was no fool. The way Shadow loosened his rings, told Omega it would be alright but could not even meet his eyes… He had run until his lungs felt they might burst, returning to the village to beg the elders to leave. To his horror, they had only smiled and politely declined.

“I have grown up my whole life in this very jungle. On this land. If I should die here today, so be it.”

The easy acceptance of one who had a life well-lived. Sonic could not understand but… he could not force them either. That only left him with one ringing thought in his mind.

_Shadow._

What the hell was he planning?

The worst on his mind, Sonic streaked after the path Shadow had taken. It took no time to run into the same clearing, the hero recognizing the beautiful form of his friend cutting a path around the crater.

Horrified, he watched as the black hedgehog launched himself into the sky.

“Shadow!” But the hedgehog could not hear him. The sky bled light and Sonic’s decision was made before the thoughts even formed. Confusion sparked, twisting his mouth into an unwelcome scowl, body spurred into vicious movement.

_Faster,_ the thought hammered in his limbs. Shadow was so far, had a head start. What could Sonic even do when he caught up? He tamped down the fear, the confusion, anything that might distract or slow him from his current goal.

Launching into the air after the other, Sonic did what he did best. 

Figured it out on the fly.

Streaking through the air faster than a bullet, Sonic could see the golden sheen of a chaos spear. He couldn’t control his trajectory in the air, but his aim was true. Peach arms wrapped around the black torso and Sonic realized how easily they fit. How naturally.

Squeezing his eyes shut against the blinding light, he forced their bodies towards the earth. They’d never outpace the force of the explosion, not with only air beneath Sonic’s feet. But this was alright. This was enough.

_At least this way, he won’t fall alone again._

The thought was a small comfort at least.

Falling was a blur. The swooping in his stomach chilling him to his bones even as the fireball raged every closer. Shutting his eyes, Shadow waited for the searing pain of the heat. It licked at his fur and he cried out, surprised but grateful when something curled around him. 

A body, he realized faintly.

The ground greeted them with casual brutality. Something carried him impossibly fast, outpacing the raging inferno just enough to avoid being burnt to a crisp, before stumbling and falling to the roiling earth. Debris and dust darkened the sky. Groaning, Shadow shifted, testing his limbs.

_Mostly intact…_ The thought was more of a comfort than normal. Somehow, he’d been able to escape a lethal distance from the missile.

There was something broken in his leg and something rattling in his lungs. But he was alive. The missile had successfully detonated which meant everyone was safe. Even the elders of the village. Rouge, Omega and-

_Sonic._

Forcing himself to his elbows, Shadow hissed through the pain, breath rattling through his teeth.

“That idiot… no.” He had survived the blast as well as he had because that bumbling fool had come back for him.

Shaking his head, Shadow snarled.

“Sonic!” The darkened sky seemed to laugh at him, hearing the pain in his cry. But amidst a pile of rubble, the black hedgehog could hear the sound of coughing.

“Sonic,” he groaned, rising to unsteady feet. His leg was healing but even that was painful, body drawing on his own reserves of chaos. “If you’re alive I’ll kill you myself.”

With agonizing movements, he made his way to the coughing noise.

“Yo!” A weak hand waved through the air, the hero’s body sprawled almost lazily over jagged rocks. “I’d get up to run but I seemed to have tripped.”

Blue leg bent at an odd angle. Broken for sure. Sucking in a breath, Shadow neared the hero, scorching eyes seeking out every injury. A broken leg, multiple gashes, and shortness of breath.

“Why aren’t you healing?” He demanded.

“Well,” coughing, Sonic managed to shoot him an amused look, “I might heal faster than others but I don’t think anyone can heal quite as quickly as you can, Shads.”

“That’s ridiculous.” The black hedgehog muttered, spreading a hand over a peach chest. It was a simple enough task to focus and course the energy through his fingertips, heat pooling into his claws and seeping into the blue hedgehog’s body.

Kickstarted, the healing accelerated. Sonic gasped as Shadow roughly snapped his leg into place, an apologetic glance thrown his way. The Ultimate Lifeform couldn’t spare too much chaos, but it was enough to get the hero on his feet. The heat of the explosion and jarring bite of the earth still fresh on his mind.

Finally, he asked the question that weighed heavily on his tongue. “What” he began roughly, “the _hell_ were you thinking?”

Emerald eyes cleared of the pained haze, focusing on Shadow with unprecedented intensity. With a grunt, Sonicsat up, slowly stretching out his limbs.

“I was chasing after a friend. Who flew up into a _missile._ ” The sharp gaze bore into him. “What the hell, Shadow?”  
  
And it wasn’t the cursing that startled Shadow the most, but the lack of a nickname to accompany the question. Instantly, the black hedgehog felt himself bristle at the accusatory tone before freezing. 

When had their rivalry become an obstacle?

“It worked didn’t it?” He offered instead. It must have been the wrong answer, green eyes blazing in fury and blue quills flaring out.

“Worked?! You could have died!” And Shadow knew that the hero wasn’t normally this high strung about life or death situations. Sonic had been at war since he was a kid, but this seemed to shake him at a level he’d never seen.

“I can handle it, Sonic” Shadow said tersely.

This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The hero had seen too much. Lost so much more.

“I CAN’T, OKAY?!” Sonic yelled, the end of his rope was frayed, snapped. “I can’t watch you willingly throw yourself into situations where you could die anymore and don’t say it’s because you want to prove you’re the Ultimate Lifeform because that’s a lie Shadow. Over and over, it’s like… it’s like you don’t _care_. But I care,” he panted. “That stunt with the zombots Shadow… I know you didn’t care, but I do. Rouge and Omega do. They want you to be safe and happy.”

_I want you to be safe and happy._ The words stayed curled on his tongue, safe and discreet.

Sonic was breathing heavily, the strain of his injuries coupled with his emotions leaving his heart fluttering a rapid staccato. He swallowed. “You’re my friend Shadow, I’m sorry if it’s selfish but I don’t want to see you do this to yourself.” HIs fingers twitched in an aborted movement, curling into a fist.

The warmth was there. And even in the rubble and heat of the blast Shadow found himself drawn to the blaze of life that Sonic possessed. His hand wrapped around those fingers before he even fully thought about it, hearing the small hitch in the other’s breath.

He was alive. They both were. That was a miracle in itself. Shadow seemed to have those in spades when it came to Sonic. His free hand rose up to caress the soft fur that circled Sonic’s cheek.After only a moment it dawned on him that Sonic’s quills really _were_ that soft.

Stones in the distance chattered, settling into place in the wake of the blast. The heat was oppressive but Shadow could hardly bear to care for it.

“I,” he rasped, “am an idiot.” The words were worth it simply for the shocked sheen in those eyes, Sonic’s mouth working in a way that made him seem more like a fish than a hedgehog. A terribly unattractive look that Shadow nonetheless found endearing. “I didn’t…” he tried, “It was…”

Suddenly, a chortling sound filled the air, Sonics wheezing laughter punctuated with small ‘ows’ every so often.

“I’m not,” he snorted, “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. But can you repeat that first part?”

Scoffing, Shadow curled his hand around Sonic’s tighter, pleased when the hedgehog’s laughter cut off into a flushed, open expression. “Shut up, faker. You heard what I said.”

The open ground that loomed before them was unprecedented. Unfamiliar. With heavy breaths, they shared the same air. Shadow huffed when he saw the last of Sonic’s injuries heal. Far slower than his own did, but the hedgehog’s unique chaos signature was hard at work nonetheless.

“Shouldn’t you heal too?” Sonic asked, eyes locking on the remaining gashes and scrapes that covered the black edgehog. The broken leg had healed, _barely._

“I’ll manage.” The hero’s gaze instantly sharpened, cutting through Shadow like a dagger. “I’ll be fine,” he added. “My healing is faster than yours.”

Grunting, Sonic rose to his feet, surveying the muddled land around them.

“We couldn’t have fallen far from the crater.” Shadow mumbled, rising to unsteady feet next to sonic. There was an ache deep in his body but enough energy had been used to heal him sufficiently. “A blast, even from that high in the air-”

_Shit._ Had it awakened the entity?

A deep rumble from beneath the earth took the words from Shadow’s mouth, his eyes darkening as his suspicions were confirmed. 

“It’s awake now.” 

Rising to his feet, Sonic frowned. “Trouble?”

Scowling, Shadow’s hand went to his inhibitors, tightening them nervously. “You’ve no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> It's been too long, if you've been waiting for this chapter I really want to thank you for your patience! My job is kicking my butt but I'm working hard!
> 
> Thank you for your comments and motivation! I will try to work faster and I'm so grateful for your interest. Until next time!


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